Status: Under construction
Funding: Active Travel Fund 3 (ATF3)
Policy Framework: Barrow-in-Furness Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)
Project description
Our scheme will create a safe and continuous active travel route through the town centre of Barrow-in-Furness. It will connect major employers, shops and facilities to nearby residential areas. We'll make improvements along Abbey Road, between Ramsden Square and its junction with Park Drive.
We've secured funding for the scheme from the government's Active Travel Fund 3. We've also received funding through the #BrilliantBarrow Town Deal, part of the government's Towns Fund. We expect the scheme to take up to twelve months to construct and open in Summer 2026.
Project update June 2026
The works between Phase 1 (Ramsden Square) to Phase 4 (Holker Street / Rawlinson Street are now complete. You will now see on site the following improvements:
- a new bi-directional cycleway around the junction, created within the existing verge and footway space
- new uni-directional cycle lanes on each side of Abbey Road, running in the same direction as traffic and making use of the wide existing footways
- a new grass verge strip installed to support improved drainage and enhance the street environment
- new Belisha beacons and lighting columns installed for improved visibility and safety
- upgraded traffic signals and crossings to support smoother traffic flow and safer crossings
- enlarged central islands at some of the crossing points, which will comfortably accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians
Road Closures
The road will be closed at the following points:
- West View Road junction from 8 June until 26 June 2026
- Ainslie Street junction from 9 June until 24 July 2026
- Stafford Street junction from 22 June until 24 July 2026
Drawings
You can view the scheme at the preliminary design stage in our Abbey Road route plan (PDF , 8.7MB).
Consultation and engagement
We held a public consultation between 19 May and 9 June 2023, to gather feedback on preliminary designs for the project.
We presented two options for consideration, options A and B. Following consultation, Council members endorsed a preliminary design based on option A. This option includes the addition of new one-way cycle lanes, primarily within the existing space for the footways.
You can read full details about options A and B, along with our analysis and summary in our Abbey Road Consultation Report (PDF , 592KB).
This report may not be accessible using assistive technologies. Please contact us if you would like an accessible version.
Contact us
If you have any queries or comments about the project or would like to be added to our mailing list for updates, please contact our project team. Email: abbeyroad@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.