A CYCLING project in west Suffolk has been given a £1.5million boost by the Government.

The Suffolk County Council scheme will see a cycle and pedestrian bridge built over the A14 to link Northgate Avenue and Thingoe Hill in Bury St Edmunds.

The council said the £2mproject – for which it will provide the remaining funding - will help people get into the town centre, train station and secondary schools.

It is one of two Suffolk schemes that have won grants from the Department for Transport, with county hall also scooping a further £150,000 to upgrade a bridle way between West Row and Mildenhall to create an “off-road” route for both pedestrians and cyclists.

A spokesman for the authority said: “Suffolk County Council is committed to making sustainable travel a more appealing and viable option for people to use on a daily basis and these schemes will very much benefit pedestrians and cyclists. So we’re delighted to have secured such a large sum of money to support two projects in Suffolk.

“Now we have secured the funding, we’ll be able to progress both projects which we hope to have delivered by the end of the year.”

The council, which still has to apply for planning permission for the bridge, will provide a further £550,000 for the schemes.

Transport minister Norman Baker said: “Cycling is healthy and reduces congestion so it is welcome news that more and more people are taking to two wheels.

“Ensuring this funding is targeted where improvements will make a real difference to cyclists is just one way we are ensuring this trend continues.”

Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond added that the money would enable local authorities to put in place “well targeted measures to protect cyclists across the country”.

The schemes were chosen by a panel of experts, led by the transport charity Sustrans.