The proposed new cycleway would run for 1.5km in one direction along Huntingdon Road. The Council chose a hybrid cycleway design, which would be raised above the existing carriageway using single kerb segregation. However, early consultations with the public and cycling bodies highlighted that a standard kerb could pose a safety hazard to cyclists joining the cycleway at an acute angle. In order to address this problem, a bespoke kerb was required.
The Cycling Infrastructure Team at Cambridgeshire County Council worked with main contractors Skanska to design a new concept in cycleway kerbing for use as a divider between the carriageway and cycleway.
Once the initial design was drafted, Skanska contacted Charcon, the commercial hard landscaping division at Aggregate Industries, to determine if it was a product they could manufacture.
Skanska then worked alongside Charcon’s technical team to propose a bespoke ‘Cambridge’ Cycle Kerb to the County Council, and an initial order for 1,100 kerbs was placed.
At the start of the manufacturing process, Charcon invited both Skanska and Cambridgeshire County Council to take part in a site tour at the company’s manufacturing plant in Hulland Ward, Derbyshire. During the tour, the team was able to view Cambridge Kerb in production and witness the finished results straight from the production line.
The first load of kerbs was delivered to site on 7th January 2015 with the project due for completion in the autumn of 2015.
