Work on Deptford’s new segregated cycle route has been brought forward to later this year, meaning riders will be able to cycle along Creek Road several months earlier than planned, Transport for London has said.

Construction of Cycleway 4 – the new name for what had been called Cycle Superhighway 4 – from Tower Bridge to Deptford Creek Bridge began in July with work at its western end, on Tooley Street in Bermondsey.

Now work on its eastern end, on Creek Road in Deptford, will begin later this year, rather than April 2020 as planned. It is warning bus users and drivers to expect delays in the area while the route is built.

Transport for London is also expanding its cycle hire scheme east along the route, although only as far as Canada Water station.

Plans for the east and west end of the route, which will stop short of Greenwich town centre to end outside the Waitrose store on Creek Road, have already been finalised. Early plans would have seen the route continute through the town centre to Charlton and Woolwich – last October TfL announced it would start consulting on this section of route, and plans to redesign the lethal Woolwich Road roundabout in east Greenwich, during this year.

Southwark Council is currently consulting on the central section of the route, which would see the one-way system at Rotherhithe removed. The consultation is open until 4 October.

London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted that we are bringing forward construction on this latest segregated cycleway so that people can enjoy the benefits of this major new Cycleway route sooner. By creating new crossings and segregated routes we will make it safer and more convenient for many more Londoners to walk and cycle, which is crucial to clean up our toxic air. Expanding the Santander Cycles scheme to Bermondsey and Rotherhithe for the first time will provide a further boost for cycling in south east London.”

Denise Scott-McDonald, Greenwich Council’s cabinet member for transport and air quality, said bringing work forward would “make it even easier and safer for more residents to cycle as part of their daily routine”.

Simon Munk, the London Cycling Campaign’s infrastructure campaigner, said: “Next we look forward to forthcoming plans to extend the scheme to Woolwich, including tackling the infamous and lethal Angerstein [Woolwich Road] roundabout.”

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