The Mayor of London Boris Johnson has opened the city's first segregated cycle 'superhighway'.

The continuous two-way and separated cycle lane is 1.4km long and runs through Vauxhall gyratory and across Vauxhall Bridge.

It links with the existing Cycle Superhighway 8 at Millbank and provides a connection with Cycle Superhighway 7 at Oval, where substantial improvements for cyclists at the junction are now nearing completion.

In addition, the route links into existing cycle routes through Kennington Oval and along Meadow Road by the Kia Oval, as well as the extensive network of back-street "Quietway" routes which are planned for Westminster and Lambeth.

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Mr Johnson said: "With London's population growing by 10,000 a month, there are only two ways to keep traffic moving - build more roads, which is for the most part physically impossible, or encourage the use of vehicles, such as bikes, which better use the space on the roads we've already got."

As part of the wider improvements, Transport for London (TfL) will next week consult on returning the Vauxhall gyratory to two-way traffic to further improve the area and create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

TfL's MD of Surface Transport, Leon Daniels, said: "Vauxhall is an area which will see tremendous change in the next decade, with the Nine Elms development, the Northern line extension and our wider plans to transform the Vauxhall Gyratory to two-way traffic.

"This new dedicated route through the area is the product of many years hard work by our designers, engineers and contractors."

(LM/CD)