WORK is well underway on the final section of the North Wiltshire Rivers Route, and it should be complete by the autumn.

North Wiltshire District Council is building the foot and cycle path, as part of the National Cycle Network.

The new section will continue the path from where it currently ends at Mortimores Wood, south of Pewsham Way in Chippenham, to Reybridge and Lacock.

The rest of the cycleway between Chippenham and Avebury is now complete and it is proving very popular with cyclists and walkers who want to travel out of Chippenham and Calne into countryside.

The final section will follow the Wilts and Berks Canal around Naish Hill above the River Avon.

Work on the next part, following the canal towpath to Reybridge, is about to start.

From Reybridge, the path has good links to Lacock, Melksham, and via the remainder of Route 4 to Bath, Bristol and Gloucester.

When the cycleway is complete, it will open up a key stretch of the Wilts and Berks Canal and several technical studies are under way to reserve routes for the canal through Melksham and around Swindon and Cricklade.

The completion of the cycleway will open up the canal from Pewsham Lock to Reybridge for restoration.

It is anticipated that this will be a practical option with several stretches of the canal still containing water.