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England's first 'cycle street' has been shut down for works just months after opening because road markings 'were not up to standard'.
Up to £2.4million has been spent on the project, on Adams Road in Cambridge, which gives cyclists and pedestrians priority over motorists.
The scheme has been branded an 'extraordinary waste of money' after the Daily Mail revealed in June that the street was used by only half the cyclists that the public were led to believe travelled along it every day.
However the controversial road has been shut down for 11 days while 'routine checks' are carried out after 'it became clear some of the road markings were not up to the required standards', the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), which is behind the project, said.
The road, which allows motor vehicles but forces drivers to give way to cyclists, was opened as a cycle street on Friday, May 29 – less than three months before it was shut down.
Road closure signs barricading the cycle route state that it has been closed from 8am on Monday, August 10 until 4.30pm on Friday, August 21 while 'remedial work' is carried out to improve markings.
In a statement on its website, the GCP said: 'As part of our remaining works on Adams Road, we need to close the road to vehicles from Monday 10 August between 7.30am and 6pm for approximately two weeks between Grange Road and Wilberforce Road.
'We will be completing the remaining road lining on Adams Road and carrying out some remedial work.
Critics have branded the 'cycle street' project on Adams Road in Cambridge as 'extraordinary waste of money' after it was revealed that around £2.4million had been spent on it
The controversial project has now been shut down for 11 days, less than three months after opening, as 'some of the road markings were not up to the required standards'
'This visit will complete all remaining sections of lining which need to be carried out.
'Pedestrian and cyclist access will remain unaffected throughout the works with vehicle access maintained for residents and businesses located within the closure.
'If you require access, please approach either of the closure points at Grange Road or Wilberforce Road and speak to a member of staff, who will arrange access through the works.
'Access to Wilberforce Road sports facilities will be unaffected by these works.'
In June, this newspaper revealed that Adams Road was used by only half the cyclists that the public were led to believe travelled along it every day.
Prior to developing the route, the GCP said on its website it was 'already used by more than 3,000 cyclists daily'.
But two manual counts of cycle use on Adams Road were carried out in 2022 and 2026 on behalf of the GCP – which has been accused of forcing anti-car schemes on Cambridge, where there is a powerful bike lobby – with both finding around 1,500 bikes went down it per day each time.
Resident Frazer Merritt, 44, previously told the Mail: 'There's a legitimate concern about Cambridge and its infrastructure as it's expanding and there are problems with traffic jams and wanting to increase cycling.
Earlier this year the Daily Mail revealed that Adams Road was used by only half the cyclists that the public were led to believe travelled along it every day
'But to my mind, the ends don't justify the means. If you want to do these public projects, you have to justify the money.'
The cycle street was developed at a reported cost of £2.4million amid claims it would improve safety for those on two wheels and pedestrians by narrowing the road, removing on-street parking, widening footpaths, raising crossings and reconfiguring junctions.
But figures unearthed previously by the Mail revealed there had been just two collisions involving bicycles in the past six years, with only one of them deemed serious.
Detractors also asked why the money couldn't be spent on more pressing needs such as fixing potholes on roads and pointed out similar schemes wouldn't work on narrower, more dangerous roads.
Delowar Hossain, a Conservative councillor in Labour-run Cambridge city, previously described the controversial scheme as an 'extraordinary waste of money'.
A GCP spokesman said: 'We will be completing the remaining road lining on Adams Road and carrying out some remedial work over the next two weeks, starting from today (10 August).
'While carrying out a routine quality assurance check on our Adams Road project, it became clear some of the road markings were not up to the required standards.
'Our contractor, M Group, takes full responsibility and is removing and replacing them at their own expense. There is no additional cost to the GCP or taxpayers.
'As a result of this work, the road will be closed for approximately two weeks, with access maintained for residents. We apologise for any inconvenience.'
The Daily Mail has approached M Group and Cambridge City Council for comment.