More than 100 people have signed a petition calling for a safer cycling route alongside a busy country road.

Dennis Keeling, who lives in Great Missenden, launched the petition on November 24, saying he was worried about the “increased heavy traffic” on the A413 “from spoil lorries servicing the HS2 sites alongside this narrow trunk road”.

Mr Keeling, 75, is a keen cyclist and says he would like to see a safe cycleway alongside the road from Wendover to Chalfont St Peter.

He said: “I cycle around three times a week and do around 100 miles a week.

“I think there are now five sites along the A413 where HS2 are digging…with a huge amount of soil being moved and big lorries and everything.

“There is quite a lot going on along there now. It’s the dual road [single carriageway] rather than the dual carriageway that is a problem because it’s not wide enough for cyclists, there is no cycleway at the side or anything.

“Nor is it wide enough for someone to paint a white line to say ‘that’s for cycles’.

“And of course, now we’ve got all this heavy traffic on it as well.

“We have major problems trying to cross it. Very few of us now risk our lives cycling it. I live right at the side of it.

“These big lorries, they give you a bit of space when they start to overtake you and then they come in very quickly afterwards because of the traffic.”

He says a route was mapped out through the Chilterns, from Waddesdon to Chalfont St Peter, by cycling charity Sustrans at the “instigation” of HS2 a few years ago, but claims HS2 pulled out of the project when it was being re-evaluated.

He added: “The project has limped along with funds from the government and Bucks Council with the Waddesdon Greenway and now the Aylesbury cycleway.

“But these routes do not address the inconvenience of the construction of HS2 which we are now experiencing.

“The original plans for a route between Wendover and Great Missenden have been stalled for a year now.

“It’s no good having long term plans when the spoil lorries are already here. We need some action now.

“The government is now supporting cycleways and HS2 has now started to fund applications for cycling along its route.

“I would like to see something in place by next year.”

An HS2 spokesperson said: “Safety is our number one priority and we are working hard with our contractors to make sure that we keep cyclists and other road users safe throughout the construction of the Chiltern tunnel and surface route.

“The vast majority of material will be kept off local roads and use dedicated ‘haul roads’ within our sites. We are also working to bring material in by rail which will take the equivalent of 1.5 million HGVs off the road.

“We are aiming to make our HGVs some of the safest in the UK, with extra safety measures – including extra mirrors, side scan detection, audible left turn alerts, sensors and collision avoidance systems – as standard.

“In addition, we have also made £3.95m available to Buckinghamshire Council to fund additional road safety improvements, which could include extra protection for cyclists.”

Buckinghamshire Council said it would be unable to comment until the petition had ended.

It can be found at buckinghamshire.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=15 until December 22.