Midlothian Council has secured £1,220,416 from the Scottish Government's Tier 2 Active Travel Infrastructure Fund for works scheduled in 2025–26, councillors heard today.

The money will fund three schemes aimed at making walking, wheeling and cycling safer, easier and more accessible across the county. All projects are due to be completed by March 2026.

At Easter Bush and the new Beeslack High School, £464,342 will deliver upgrades along the A703 and A701. The A701/A703 junction will be converted to a Toucan Crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, alongside new and widened shared-use paths linking Roslin, the new Beeslack High School and Easter Bush Campus. The changes are intended to provide safer routes to school, work and public transport, and to support the longer-term goal of a fully connected active travel network.

At the A7/Carrington Road junction, £441,128 will fund a new signalised junction with a Toucan Crossing. Footways will be widened to create shared-use paths towards Newtongrange, Hardengreen and the Carrington View housing development, with additional street lighting to improve safety. The scheme is designed to strengthen links for growing communities and offer more direct routes for people travelling on foot and by bike.

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In Loanhead and Straiton, £314,946 will improve Active Travel Links. The northern footway along Loanhead Road will be widened for shared use, offering an alternative to on-road cycling between the A701 and the Shawfair to Roslin railway path. A new zebra crossing will make it safer to cross Edgefield Relief Road. The Straiton Pond Path will also be upgraded with a new surface and lighting to create an all-weather route, connecting Straiton Retail Park, Edgefield Industrial Estate and nearby housing to the wider network.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: "I'm pleased that Midlothian Council is now progressing these ambitious projects with over £1.2 million from the Scottish Government's Active Travel Infrastructure Fund.

"By improving crossings, widening paths, and enhancing lighting, it will make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle. These improvements will then strengthen connections between schools, workplaces and key services in the community, helping more people choose active travel for everyday journeys.

"To help local authorities across the country to deliver on their ambitions, the Scottish Government is investing over £188 million in active and sustainable transport in 2025–26. In doing so, we're helping more people to save money, improve health, and reduce emissions."

Cllr Colin Cassidy, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "This investment will make a real difference to how people travel in Midlothian.

"By creating safer, well-lit shared paths and upgrading key junctions, we're improving connections between local communities and making it easier to reach schools, jobs, public transport and areas to enjoy nature too.

"These projects will encourage more people to walk, wheel, and cycle as part of their everyday journeys in Midlothian."