Northampton gets safer Abington walking and cycling routes

Work on the next phase of the Abington Active Travel Scheme is due to begin on Monday 8 June, bringing staged construction to Park Avenue South and Bridgewater Drive in Northampton.

West Northamptonshire Council says the phase 2 works are planned to run until Autumn 8 June and continue into autumn 00 autumn, with completion expected set for autumn autumn 2026. The £4.7m scheme is intended to improve walking, wheeling and cycling links around Abington, including access toward Abington Park, schools, residential streets, the town centre and local facilities.

Access to homes and businesses is expected to be maintained during the works, but temporary traffic management, road closures and diversions will be used where needed.

The essentials

• Work is scheduled to start on Monday 8 June.
• The affected corridor is Park Avenue South and Bridgewater Drive.
• New and improved footways and segregated cycle lanes are planned.
• Completion is planned for autumn autumn 2026.
• The project budget is ££4.7m, funded through active travel and local transport sources.

Dates, streets and cost at a glance

Park Avenue South and Bridgewater Drive works

The second phase will focus on safer, more accessible everyday routes along Park Avenue South and Bridgewater Drive. Once complete, the council says the area should have upgraded footways and segregated cycle lanes, giving pedestrians, wheelchair users and cyclists more clearly defined space.

The route is expected to strengthen links between neighbourhood streets, schools, Northampton town centre and Abington Park. For many local journeys, the practical change will be less about long-distance leisure cycling and more about whether short trips to school, parks, shops or work feel direct and usable without relying on a car.

The works sit within a wider pattern of UK local authorities investing in safer streets and sustainable travel, including other schemes focused on safer street links.

How construction will affect access

Construction will be carried out in stages to reduce disruption where possible. West Northamptonshire Council says some temporary traffic management, road closures and signed diversions will still be needed as work moves through the route.

Residents and businesses are expected to receive updates through letters, on-site signage and online project information. The council has said access to homes and businesses will be maintained while the works are carried out.

That means the most useful local check during construction will be the latest stage-by-stage notice, rather than the overall completion date. Traffic arrangements may change as crews move between sections of the scheme.

Funding and the wider Abington scheme

The £4.7m Abington project is funded through the Active Travel Fund, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and local transport grants. Kier is delivering the construction work in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council.

The council said phase 2 was consulted on in 2023 and is separate from phase 3, which was consulted on earlier this year and is being redesigned following public feedback. The council said phase 2 implementation does not determine future active travel plans for the area.

Cllr Richard Butler, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said the next phase would “will make a positive difference to how people get around this part of Northampton.

“By creating safer and more accessible routes, we are making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle as part of their everyday journeys,” he said. “We have listened to feedback from residents and will continue to work closely with the community while the work is carried out.”

Source: West Northamptonshire Council