Belfast's Durham Street Gets £425,000 Active Travel Upgrade as City Cycling Network Expands
A £425,000 active travel scheme on Durham Street and College Square North in Belfast has begun construction, as the Department for Infrastructure advances its programme of cycling and walking infrastructure improvements across the city. The scheme, which will deliver new cycling lanes and improved pedestrian facilities in one of Belfast's busiest city centre corridors, is part of a wider effort to reduce car dependency and improve connectivity for the growing number of people choosing to travel by bike or on foot.
Background
Belfast has been investing in active travel infrastructure for the better part of a decade, driven by a combination of environmental targets, public health objectives, and the practical need to reduce congestion in a city centre that was designed for a very different era of transport. The city's cycling network has expanded significantly in recent years, with new lanes on the Ormeau Road, the Ravenhill Road, and the Newtownards Road providing safer routes for cyclists in the east and south of the city.
The Durham Street and College Square North corridor is one of the most important in the city centre, connecting the Queen's Quarter — home to Queen's University Belfast, the Ulster Museum, and the Botanic Gardens — with the city centre and the Cathedral Quarter. The route is used by thousands of cyclists and pedestrians every day, but has historically lacked the dedicated infrastructure needed to make it safe and attractive for those who are not already confident cyclists.
The scheme is funded through the Department for Infrastructure's Active Travel Investment Programme, which was established to deliver the targets set out in the Northern Ireland Executive's Active Travel Strategy. The strategy, published in 2021, set a target of increasing the proportion of journeys made by walking, cycling, and public transport to 35% by 2035 — an ambitious goal that will require sustained investment in infrastructure across the province.
Key Developments
The £425,000 scheme, which began on 28 September 2026, will deliver a range of improvements to the Durham Street and College Square North corridor. These include new protected cycling lanes, improved pedestrian crossings, enhanced lighting, and new wayfinding signage to help cyclists navigate the city centre network. The scheme has been designed in consultation with local businesses, residents, and cycling groups, and incorporates feedback from a public consultation process that took place earlier in 2026.
The Durham Street scheme is one of two major infrastructure projects announced by the Department for Infrastructure on 28 September, alongside a £300,000 carriageway resurfacing scheme on the C0663 Kevlin Road in Omagh. Together, the two schemes represent a combined investment of £725,000 in Northern Ireland's transport infrastructure — a modest but meaningful contribution to the province's active travel and road maintenance programmes.
The scheme is expected to take approximately 12 weeks to complete, with the work scheduled to be finished before the end of 2026. During the construction period, some disruption to traffic and pedestrian access in the area is expected, and the Department for Infrastructure has urged road users to plan their journeys accordingly and to follow the diversion routes that will be in place.
Why It Matters
The Durham Street active travel scheme matters because it represents a concrete investment in the kind of infrastructure that makes cycling and walking a viable choice for ordinary people — not just for the committed cyclist who is prepared to share the road with heavy traffic, but for the parent cycling with children, the older person who wants to walk safely, and the commuter who would cycle to work if the route felt safe enough. Research consistently shows that protected cycling infrastructure — lanes that are physically separated from motor traffic — is the single most effective intervention for increasing cycling rates.
The scheme also matters in the context of Belfast's broader ambitions for sustainable transport. The city has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon city by 2050, and transport is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the urban area. Every journey made by bike or on foot rather than by car is a small contribution to that goal, and the cumulative effect of thousands of such journeys every day is significant.
Local Impact
For residents and workers in the areas around Durham Street and College Square North — including students and staff at Queen's University Belfast, visitors to the Ulster Museum, and workers in the Cathedral Quarter — the scheme will provide a safer and more pleasant route through the city centre. The improved cycling infrastructure will also benefit users of the Glider rapid transit service, who often need to cycle or walk to and from Glider stops. Local businesses in the area have expressed cautious support for the scheme, noting that improved cycling infrastructure tends to increase footfall from cyclists who stop to shop and eat.
What's Next
The Durham Street scheme is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the new cycling lanes and pedestrian facilities opening to the public before Christmas. The Department for Infrastructure has indicated that it will continue to invest in active travel infrastructure across Belfast and the wider province in 2027, with a number of further schemes in the pipeline. The Active Travel Investment Programme is expected to receive additional funding in the Stormont budget — if and when that budget is agreed — and the department has indicated that it will prioritise schemes that connect existing cycling routes and fill gaps in the network.
