An innovative route for pedestrians and cyclists will wend its way to Bradford city centre in what is believed to be the first project of its type in Britain.

Work will soon start on the £3 million 'Living Street' project which will include a landmark stainless steel bridge with a 30ft tower which will be lit up to create a major gateway to the city across Manchester Road.

The street will follow the line of a national cycle route and will generally be narrower than a normal road.

It is part of the massive Trident regeneration scheme which includes the Little Horton and Marshfield areas.

In the last five years 82 people have been hurt in road accidents in those areas and the proportion involving children is one of the highest in the district.

It is anticipated that the route will be used by large numbers of youngsters travelling to and from school as well as by people journeying to and from work.

Trident programme manager Judith Atkinson said the project was also intended to bring communities together by providing a traffic-free environment.

"The Living Street is a safe pedestrian route so it will bring people into the area, linking the city centre with residential areas and linking residential areas to other facilities such as schools, shops, churches and other religious centres," she said.

"It will also bring other people into the city centre because it links the wider Bradford and West Yorkshire area with the national cycle route, Route 66."

The scheme is being carried out jointly by Trident, Bradford Council and Bradford West Community Housing Trust which is carrying out a £7 million revamp on the blocks of flats it owns off Manchester Road.

Landscaping and environmental work has already been carried out in West Bowling at St Stephen's Road and Gaythorne Road.

Mrs Atkinson said: "The bridge will be a landmark going from St Stephen's Road to the middle of Manchester Road and then splitting, with one side going to Roundhill Road and the other to Ramsdale Road."

She told Bradford West Area Committee last night: "We intend for the route to be very well lit with street lighting and architectural lighting. Further south, there will be landscaping but not the kind of landscaping that people can hide behind.

"We will make sure it is accessible to vehicles and CCTV, wardens, additional police are all part of a security package."

Artists will work with the community to decide on themes for different parts of the street.

Work on the first part of the Living Street from Radwell Drive to Clayton Lane is due to start after Easter and should be completed by the end of the year. It is hoped the scheme will be finished within the next three years.

Trident board chairman, Councillor Ian Greenwood (Lab, Little Horton), said: "Clearly we have major redevelopment of the area and we do not want to repeat the mistakes where there were busy roads and poky back alleys and people were not safe. This will allow people to feel safe and enjoy their own environment ."