Leicester City Council has bid for £6.6m of government cash to create new traffic-free cycle tracks alongside main roads into the city centre.

If successful, the council's bid to the Department for Transport's 'Cycle City Ambition Grant' scheme would pay for the most ambitious extension of the city's cycling network in years.

The proposals include major projects on three key routes into the city centre.

New cycle lanes would be created to provide a direct cycle link from the city centre to The Golden Mile, Abbey Park and the Space Centre. There will also be 25 new, or upgraded, crossings along the route.

A second project would link Jubilee Square to Narborough Road and residential areas in the west of the city, as well the National Cycle Network Route 6.

The third project would extend plans for Newarke Street and Southgates along the Inner Ring Road to Freeman's Common, via Leicester College and The Tigers Ground. By reallocating some of the road space along the one-way route, this would provide an additional 1.2km of off-road cycle lane, with 16 upgraded crossings.

The bid also includes proposals to create six new 20mph zones in busy residential areas and near to schools.

It would also pay for 500 new bike parking racks in neighbourhood shopping areas and new cycle route signage.

An announcement on whether Leicester's bid has been has been successful is expected in late June.

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: "This bid shows our ambitions for the future of cycling in Leicester. The vision is to make cycling an ordinary, everyday means of transport in our city.

"With Connecting Leicester, we are already improving pedestrian and cycling links between our historic buildings and the retail heart of the city. This bid shows our ambition to extend that into surrounding neighbourhoods."

Last month, the city council was awarded £550,000 from the Department for Transport for planned improvements for cyclists and pedestrians in Newarke Street, Southgates and Jubilee Square.