Death trap link between bike centres

Published 12 Feb 2010 10:48 2 Comments

LOCAL councillors have been slammed for endangering the lives of local residents and tourists.

Dave Rogers, of the Traquair Arms Hotel, feels local resprentatives should be ashamed of the shoddy condition of the footpath along the A72 which links the mountainbike tracks of Innerleithen to Glentress.

He said: "In places the path is non-existent which leaves people to take their lives in their hands as cars whip past them.

"Councillors constantly bleat on about making Innerleithen the mountain biking mecca of Scotland, but the A72 is the only route between the biking centres in Innerleithen and Glentress.

"Many of my guests are bikers and they always comment that it's terrifying to travel the A72."

This view is echoed by Richard Lattimer, who operates Glentrail House, a four-bedroom self catering house in Innerleithen.

He told us: "I tell all my guests not to travel the A72 as it's too dangerous. Instead they use the back roads to get to and from Glentress.

"It will be a fantastic benefit to Innerleithen if, and when, the railway line reopens as a cycle path."

Two years ago, a joint project was announced between cycling charity Sustrans and Scottish Borders Council, to reopen the six-mile stretch of former railway line between Innerleithen and Peebles as a cycling/walking path.

Over 300,000 bikers visit Glentress and Innerleithen biking centres each year and the planned link is seen by both as a way of boosting numbers even further.

At present the line has been reopened from Peebles to Glentress at a cost of £220,000 but Mr Rogers believes Sustrans and Scottish Borders Council have missed a trick.

He said: "The footpath between Peebles and Glentress is in pristine condition, whereas from Glentress to Innerleithen it's a deathtrap.

"Surely it would have made more sense, seeing as it's a cycle path, to link the two biking centres together first.

"It seems that Innerleithen is just an afterthought once again."

It now seems though that as budgets tighten Innerleithen will just have to sit and suffer as there are no plans in place to upgrade the A72's footpath.

Alongside this £250,000 of funding needed to complete the Glentress to Innerleithen section of railway line is still being sought.

A project which entails the building of a bridge across the Tweed offering shared access for cyclists and walkers.

A council spokeswoman said: "There are no current plans to construct a footpath on the A72 between Innerleithen and Glentress.

"The key priority for Scottish Borders Council at present is to upgrade existing infrastructure that has suffered during this long spell of severe winter weather.

"Planning permission is in place for a new bridge to be constructed close to the former railway bridge near Cardrona. SBC is currently trying to source funding to enable these plans to go ahead."

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 12 Feb 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  Mtn biker
  Unregistered User
  Feb 17, 21:39
  Report comment

  I agree that the old railway line should be opened up for cyclists and walkers, but surely it is illegal to cycle on footpaths beside the road so focussing on this is misplaced.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Playaste
  Unregistered User
  Oct 18, 10:54
  Report comment

  Yes,me too.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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