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Nearly £4.5 million is to be spent replacing two bridges in Guildford in an attempt to encourage cycling and reduce congestion.

Walnut Bridge, which connects Walnut Tree Close and the Bedford Road area, and the Wooden Bridge, which crosses Midleton Road, have been chosen for the project, which is also attempting to increase sustainable transport.

Currently, both bridges are for pedestrians and wheelchair users, with cyclists required to dismount.

The aim is to build a wider structure at both locations, so that cyclists will no longer have to walk with their bikes when crossing the bridges.

The total cost of replacing the bridges will cost £4.47 million, with £950,000 of that coming from Guildford Borough Council.

The remainder will be allocated from the local growth fund, which is administered by the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Councillor Matt Furniss said: “Walnut Bridge is a well-established gateway between Guildford railway station and the retail and commercial heart of our town centre.

“The present footbridge is an alternative link for those on foot who wish to avoid the traffic-dominated gyratory system.

"A survey found that almost 5,000 people crossed the bridge during a 12-hour period on a Saturday in December 2012.

“The narrow Wooden Bridge crossing provides a vital link between Westborough and Stoughton to the north and Woodbridge Meadows and the town centre to the south.

“At present, it is an uninviting, narrow concrete trough.

“By transforming these bridges, key links in our walking and cycling networks, we will encourage more people, more often, to travel by foot or bicycle.

“At present, approaching a third of car journeys made through the gyratory both begin and end within three miles of this location and 45% end within one-and-a-quarter miles of the gyratory.”

According to papers outlining the project, the council may be able to recover some funds through community infrastructure levies on private developments.