"Danger" cycle lane to be resurfaced after cyclist's crash

A cycle lane branded a "danger" after a cyclist was left unconscious with a host of injuries is to be resurfaced after the council deemed it "not to be of the required standard" and in need of repair.

The Northern Echo reports Darlington Borough Council is to appoint a contractor to resurface the infrastructure between Milbank Road and Greenbank Road, with a new material to be used and white lines to be repainted.

The red surface material seen in images released by the council is just an impression, the authority confirmed, and it is not known if the final cycle lane will be bright red.

The local paper heard from Graham Webster, who called the route a "danger" after suffering a crash which has prompted the council to now take action, a fall which left the local cyclist unconscious and with injuries to his neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip and knee.

In hospital he was told that staff had treated other riders who had fallen on the same cycle lane, which has raised concrete edges separating the route from traffic, something Mr Webster called "an inherent danger from a cyclist's perspective in an environment supposedly meant to the protect them".

"As a highly experienced cyclist of some 40 plus years and having cycled in all corners of the globe I have never encountered such a dangerous design of cycle lane," he said.

"Whilst cycling south east along Woodland Road, just before the Hollyhurst Road junction and opposite St Teresa's Hospice, I was the victim of an accident which caused me to fall from my bike and left me lying unconscious in the road.

"The cause of the accident was my wheels catching the edge of the raised concrete kerb edge which separates the cycle lane and the road lane tarmac levels. There were no warning signs to highlight the change of surface height and the kerb looks like a flat painted line as you approach it dead ahead.

"The kerb edge is hidden as a cyclist due to the position you ride on the road, which effectively means you are almost on top of the kerb edge which from this position is very difficult to spot. Either a different colour tarmac and or warning signs to me are the obvious improvement."

The work is to be done overnight, with surfacing and lining work to take six nights, starting on Monday 31 July.

"We recognise that the scheme caused inconvenience during the construction phase, but it is necessary for the contractors to return to put right the issues that have been identified," a spokesperson from the council said.

"We are trying to minimise disruption by night time working but some works are required ahead of these night shifts and this has to be during the day."