Lecce: work has started on the cycle path between the city and Ecotekne.

Work has begun on the construction of the cycle path that will connect the city and the university center of Ecotekne, which correspond to the second lot of the "University cycle network", financed by the national recovery and resilience plan.

The cycle connection between Ecotekne and the city will be challenging 3,91 kilometers of route and will be achieved by equipping those which are currently roads rarely used by cars or closed to vehicular traffic except fronters, therefore already predominantly used by cyclists and runners.

Here, horizontal and vertical signs dedicated to cyclists and street lighting will be installed to ensure clear indications and road safety.

The choice of this route, which takes place along a valuable itinerary from a landscape point of view, is also dictated by the impossibility of creating protected cycle paths on stretches of road owned by Anas - such as the roundabout for the entrance to the Western Ring Road - where there is intense car traffic.

The cycle connection between the city and Ecotekne will start from municipal road “Tufi” – where there is a driveway entrance to the university complex – and then cross the SP6 Lecce Monteroni and cross via Enzo Ferrari to join via Vecchia Copertino at the church of the Madonna del Pisello.

Having taken the cycle path of via Vecchia Copertino, citizens on bicycles will pass under the viaduct of the Western Ring Road, up to the Rudiae Archaeological Park, where the route joins with the existing cycle path that arrives at via San Pietro in Lama.

Also this last stretch of via Vecchia Copertino, which connects the Archaeological Park of Rudiae with via San Pietro in Lama, of length of 1,2 kilometers, will be affected by works. Here a dedicated public lighting system will be installed to ensure visibility of the route for urban cyclists.

The second project lot of the university cycle network also includes two interventions in the urban centre. THE

the first, with a length of 510 metres, will connect the Civil Court and the Foro Boario terminal with the Olivetani complex and the Belloluogo Park. On the first stretch of viale Porta d'Europa a two-way cycle path will be created on its own site which will connect to the raised pedestrian crossing already present and, on the other side of the road it will continue on via Indino, via Vespasiano Genuino and the intersection with via Carluccio.

Here the path will branch on one side towards the entrance to the Cemetery and on the other it will connect with the terminal of the existing cycle path in Via San Nicola.

Finally, in via Brenta the construction of the connection is planned between the existing two-way cycle path on the pavement in via Po and the two-way cycle path on its own site in via Adriatica-San Nicola which is being built with another project.

«In October 2021, together with Rector Pollice and other Unisalento teachers, whom I thank, we traveled along the road that will now be equipped, identifying it as an excellent connection between Ecotekne, the city and the cycle path that from Monteroni reaches the campus. Today that intuition is starting to become reality thanks to collaboration and teamwork – declares the councilor for Sustainable Mobility Marco De Matteis – These will be safety works, installation of signs and lighting of roads that cross the countryside and landscape between the city and Ecotekne, pleasant to travel on as well as suitable for ensuring a quick cycle connection for those who study or work at the University".