Three months of work to improve a cycle route and make it safer for people to cross Norwich’s ring road will start next week.

The £900,000 scheme in Thorpe St Andrew had been due to start in March, but was put on hold when coronavirus restrictions were introduced.

But the work, including improvements to the green pedalway, which stretches from Broadland Business Park to Bowthorpe, will start on Monday, June 1.

It is due to be completed at the start of September and will include road closures in the St Williams Way and Thunder Lane area during the period of work.

Norfolk County Council says that, as well as improving the green pedalway for cyclists, the project will make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the ring road and mean better surfaces and reduced vehicle speeds.

The work will include resurfacing of parts of St Williams Way, Thunder Lane and Laundry Lane and a new, 1.8 metre wide mandatory cycle lane on the ring road from 80 metres west of Thor Loke to Laundry Lane.

Raised tables will be installed at the Thor Loke junction, the eastern pavement on Thunder Lane will be resurfaced between St Williams Way and Plumstead Road and changes made to the Thunder Lane/St Williams Way traffic lights.

That will see the central islands and the segregated left turn into Thunder Lane removed, while the pedestrian crossing and traffic signals will be upgraded.

A pedestrian island west of Thor Loke will be built to help pedestrians crossing St Williams Way and the pedestrian island west of the Laundry Lane junction will be widened.

Carriageways on the ring road will be widened, as will the southern pavement on the ring road between Laundry Lane and Thorpe Avenue.

Thor Loke will be closed at its junction with St Williams Way, from 7am on Monday, June 22 until 7pm on Friday, July 3.

And Thunder Lane (north and south) will shut at its junction with St Williams Way from 7am on Monday, July 13 until 7pm on Friday, September 4.

Further short-term closures will be needed when resurfacing takes place in August. First Bus Service 24 will be diverted via Thor Loke and Laundry Lane during Thunder Lane’s closure.