IT IS hoped scores of cyclists will ride the length of a £1.5m cycle path from Petersfield to Queen Elizabeth Country Park on the day it’s officially opened.

The ribbon on the seven kilometre cycleway will be cut by Hampshire county councillor Andrew Gibson, and the council has issued an open invitation to cyclists to join a mass ride from the country park to Petersfield and back.

The country park is owned by Hampshire County Council (HCC). Around 4,000 people signed the initial petition requesting the cycle path, and it is hoped many of those will attend, local cycle clubs have also been invited to come and ride the path to and from the country park on the opening day, but everyone is welcome, says HCC.

The ride on Friday, November 18, will leave the country park at 9.30am, and arrive at Petersfield station about 10am, and the set off on the return leg to the park around 10.10am, then at about 11am Cllr Gibson will cut the tape.

Due to limited parking at the station, riders using their car to get to the cycle path are asked to park in the country park car park, leaving just those coming by bus or train to meet at the station.”

Mark Miller of the East Hampshire Community Rail Partnership said: “The cycle path will be a very welcome addition to the cycle network in East Hampshire and the Petersfield Station Travel Hub will be opened on the morning to complement this event.”

The path was a partnership project between Highways England, Forestry Commission, Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority.

Initially priced at about £1m, the cost of it rose to almost £1.5m due to construction problems with the last 50 yards of it into the park car park, the problems also delayed it’s opening for a year.