Major construction has commenced on the next phase of the Belfast Bicycle Improvement Plan (BBIP). Contractors are on site at Durham Street and College Square North as the next section of dedicated, protected cycling space begins to take shape.

Sections 2 and 3 of BBIP will provide a link between the commercial heart of Belfast city centre and the Grosvenor Road, providing a short section of traffic-free cycling for journeys to and from the west of the city.

This follows the launch of BBIP route 1 along Alfred Street and Upper Arthur Street to the south of the city centre.

The plans will see road space reallocation on Durham Street to provide a wand-separated 2-way cycle track between Grosvenor Road and (the bicycle-friendly rat-run busted) Barrack Street.

A signal-controlled crossing will replace the (defunct) mini-roundabout on the corner of Durham Street and College Square North to bring those cycling to the opposite side of the road.

Work has technically been ongoing on this scheme for a number of weeks to install electric cabling for street lighting, but this is the first sign of the actual cycleway development.

Another wand-separated 2-way cycle track will trace the length of College Square North. At the massive junction with College Avenue a fully-dedicated bicycle crossing will link across to College Street, which will be stopped-up to through-traffic and become Belfast’s first ‘bicycle street’.

It will be interesting to see the operation of the crossings given the constant, ongoing unlawful turning movements by vehicles drivers at the May Street crossing on BBIP 1.

Oh no.. brake brake BRAKE BRAAAAAKE! #FFS (drivers illegally turning left here *will* kill someone) @PSNITraffic https://t.co/Z8AoSqLhTI — NI Greenways (@nigreenways) April 8, 2016

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