Salford residents were invited to a free family event last weekend to celebrate the reopening of one of the city’s key cycling and walking routes.
The Swinton Greenway, a 7km off-road path that runs from Monton Road in Monton to the A6 Manchester Road in Swinton, was re-launched to residents following a near £6m transformation at an action-packed celebration on Saturday 11 June during Bike Week 2022.
The route has been significantly upgraded to make it more attractive, safer and accessible for all, whether it’s for cyclists, commuters, dog walkers or wheelchair users. Using Flexipave as the proprietary finished surface, KBI UK worked alongside principal contractor Casey’s for nearly 18-months, installing over 17,500m2 of the highly porous material.
Over 46,500 recycled tyres were used within the construction of the Flexipave surface, making it highly sustainable and eco-friendly. Used tyres are often incinerated as a means of disposal. Had the tyres in this project been burned, they would have released around 1,027,950 kg CO2.
Upgrades to the Swinton Greenway include widening the route up to 3.5m for 5km of the path to allow more users than before, new motion-detection sensor lighting to ensure trips are well lit, all year round, and the route now offers over 30 different entrances to open it up and connect it to more communities living nearby.
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “The revamped Swinton Greenway will be used and loved by cyclists and walkers alike.
“As someone who enjoys cycling and walking, I know that this upgraded route has massive potential to revolutionise the way residents travel between Swinton and Monton and is an example of how we are delivering on our vision to make it easier and safer for cyclists and walkers to get about in our city.
“I am very excited to formally launch Swinton Greenway at Saturday’s event and head out on to this stunning route where I am sure that I will be joined by many other fellow residents keen to make use of this wonderful asset as we head into the summer.”
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner, said: “Well-connected, safe and accessible routes are vital to getting more people to walk, cycle or wheel for everyday trips.
“Swinton Greenway is a superb scheme that will enable more people to leave the car at home and choose to travel on foot or by bike. Using this new route to replace an existing vehicle journey with an active one will help people build activity back into their days, improving both physical and mental health in the process, as well as reducing congestion and even saving people money. These improvements have also made the space more enjoyable for a leisurely stroll or cycle, with three impressive artworks and plenty of benches and green space to have a picnic.”