A two-way cycle lane running into Deptford from Southwark has been given the green light by Lewisham’s mayor and cabinet.

The Cycle Superhighway 4 will run from Tooley Street down to Jamaica Road and onto Evelyn Street before ending on Creek Road, connecting Deptford, Bermondsey, Rotherhithe and Greenwich.

Work on the scheme will begin in the autumn, with the lane expected to be open by the end of 2020.

The scheme should help to impact air pollution levels, with around half of air pollution caused by road transport.

It should also make walking and cycling safer, cabinet member for environment and transport, Cllr Brenda Dacres, explained.

“Air pollution is a public health emergency, with thousands of deaths attributable to toxic air pollution in London each year,” she said.

“We know that around half of air pollution is produced by road transport, while transport is responsible for around a third of greenhouse gases in the UK. Therefore we have to encourage Londoners to ditch their cars and pick up their bikes, which is exactly what CS4 aims to do and will improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.

“CS4 will also encourage people to walk more too by bringing benefits for pedestrians, such as improved paving, new pedestrian crossings and tree planting. These improvements will provide Deptford with world class facilities for cyclists and will make it a more a pleasant area to live, work and shop.”

Lewisham Council will now work closely with City Hall, Southwark Council and Greenwich Council to get the project off the ground.

Other traffic air pollution initiatives in Lewisham include the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone into the borough on October 21, 2021.

This will mean cars and vans will have to meet emission standard to travel on all roads within the North and South Circular, or face charges of upwards of £12.50.