Passing places on upgraded towpath

WORK has now stared on upgrading just under 800 yards of the Oxford Canal towpath into a cycleway—with passing places.

This is at the end of the waterway in Jericho, at a cost of £115,000, but with the track being less than the required width for mixed use as defined by Sustrans, the passing places are to be installed 'to improve safety on the route, which is popular with both walkers and cyclists'.

Who will wait?

How the passing places will operate is not stated, as to who will wait for whom.

The project is expected to take eight weeks to complete and the path will be closed for a short period, with diversion routes in place, to allow the new surface to be laid.

British Waterways Regeneration Manager James Clifton said the improvement work would increase enjoyment and safety stating:

"In the countryside, a grass towpath is fine, but in the city people have higher expectations.  Currently, the path is a mixture of various materials that have been compacted over the years and when it rains it gets muddy, which is not ideal if you are going to the shops or the train station."

He goes on to say the area attracted about 300,000 visits per year, both on boat and on foot.