Traffic-free path connects Easton with Westbury-sub-Mendip
Rose AtkinsonA new path has opened, forming part of a 76-mile (122km) traffic-free circuit.
The path connects Easton with Westbury-sub-Mendip for the first time since the railway line closed in September 1963.
It is part of the Strawberry Line and the Somerset Circle which, when completed, will form a route linking Bristol, Bath, the Mendip Hills and the Somerset Levels.
The path in Easton is 1.8km (1.1 miles) long and features a new accommodation bridge, fencing and benches.
Councillor Ros Wyke campaigned for traffic-free paths for two decades. He said: "I'm particularly pleased that children can now safety walk to school in Westbury and the communities can safely reach and enjoy each other's facilities and events.
"We continue to open more paths and get ever closer to completing the Somerset Circle."
Mick Fletcher, chair of The Strawberry Line Society, added: "Our ambition is to see a continuous, traffic-free path from Shepton to the sea at Clevedon.
"It makes a vital connection between two communities and gives people a real green alternative to commuting by car for work or shopping."
Construction is currently taking place at Shepton Mallet heading north through Windsor Hill and further works are soon to start on the Strawberry Line extension.
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