By. Mark Duell for MailOnline. The routes of two urban cycleways across London billed as ‘Crossrail for the bike’ were today unveiled by Mayor Boris Johnson. They will offer cyclists protection from other road traffic and are the centrepiece of a £913million project to get more Londoners on to two wheels. The north-south route will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle in south London to King’s Cross in north London. Big Ben: A Greater London Authority image of an artist's impression showing how Parliament Square in London would look after an urban cycleway is installed. Across London: The east-west route will run from Barking east of London to Acton in west London, a distance of over 18 miles, including a section on the Westway. The east-west route will run from. Barking, east London, to Acton in west London, a distance of over 18. miles, including a section on the Westway flyover. Protected. cycle routes will also be created through dangerous junctions,. including Tower Hill, Blackfriars, Parliament Square and Lancaster Gate. Connections will be created to cycle routes serving other parts of the City, West End and suburbs. Subject. to detailed public consultation - which begins today - work will start. early next year and the routes will open in March 2016. Getting through: The north-south route will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle in south London to King's Cross in north London. Cycling by the Thames: An artist's impression showing how Victoria Embankment in London would look after an urban cycleway is installed. Getting more Londoners on their bikes: How St George's Circus in Southwark would look after an urban cycleway is installed. Mr Johnson said: ‘Bikes already make up 24 per cent of all rush-hour traffic in central London - hundreds of thousands of journeys every day that would otherwise be made by car or public transport. 'Getting more people on to their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone' London Mayor Boris Johnson. ‘Because this isn’t just about cyclists. Getting more people on to their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone, whether or not they cycle themselves.’ The project is said to be creating Europe’s longest substantially-segregated urban cycleways, and opening up new journey opportunities for cyclists. The proposed riverside cycle track on Victoria Embankment would also mean cyclists there would not need to cross side-roads. Cars and bicycles: How Blackfriars Road would look after the cycleway is installed. The routes across London have been billed as 'Crossrail for the bike' Capital traffic: How Ludgate Circus in London would look after the cycleway is installed. Protected cycle routes will be created through dangerous junctions. Leon Daniels, managing director of. surface transport at Transport for London, said: ‘Cycling in London is. becoming more popular by the day. 'This cycle way will attract new people to cycling - young and old - because they will feel safer and more confident using a convenient route' Martin Key, British Cycling. ‘These new Cycle Superhighways will further transform London into a continental cycle-tropolis for riders of all ages.’ Subject. to public consultation - which begins today - work will start early. next year and the routes are expected to open in March 2016. British Cycling’s campaigns manager. Martin Key said: ‘Continuous segregated routes have proved hugely. successful in Holland and are an affordable transport solution for. cities. ‘This cycle way will attract new people to cycling - young. and old - because they will feel safer and more confident using a. convenient route.’ Impression: How Blackfriars Junction in London would appear. Connections will be created to cycle routes serving parts of the City, West End and suburbs. City skyline: An artist's impression showing how Tower Hill looking westward in London would look  after an urban cycleway is installed. 'Crossrail for the bike': The east-west cycle superhighway will run for 18 miles from Barking in the east to Acton in the west. Some 19,000 cyclists are killed or injured in reported road accidents in the UK every year, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Last autumn six cyclists were killed on London's roads in two weeks, leading to calls for more money to be invested in cycle lanes and safety measures. At the time, former Olympic cyclist Chris Boardman asked Mr Johnson to look at banning heavy good vehicles from the roads during peak hours. This is a system already implemented in Paris. Out of 14 cyclists killed last year in London, nine were involved in accidents with HGVs. At Ludgate Circus, one of the areas being redeveloped in the plans, seven cyclists are said to have died since 2008 - the latest being in April this year. The EAST-WEST Cycle Superhighway would start at Tower Hill, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 3 (CS3), which runs east to Canary Wharf and Barking. From Tower Hill, the new route would run along Lower and Upper Thames Street, Victoria Embankment, across Parliament Square, to Hyde Park Corner and through Hyde Park, across Lancaster Gate and up Westbourne Terrace. From there, it will travel on the Westway Flyover from Westbourne Bridge to Wood Lane and would continue along the A40 Western Avenue as far as Kathleen Avenue, Acton. The East-West Cycle Superhighway would start at Tower Hill, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 3 (CS3) The design of the section from the Westway to Acton is still being finalised and will be consulted on at a later date. Apart from a short stretch in the Lancaster Gate area and a low traffic street adjacent to Upper Thames Street tunnel, the new Superhighway would be entirely physically segregated. In central London, there will be connecting Quietway backstreet routes to other parts of the City, the West End, Paddington, Maida Vale, Notting Hill and many other places. There will also be connections to an upgraded Cycle Superhighway 2 for Mile End and Stratford. From Tower Hill, the new route would run along Lower and Upper Thames Street, Victoria Embankment and across Parliament Square. There will also be connections to the existing segregated track across Southwark Bridge, connecting to Cycle Superhighway 7 and Quietway routes in Southwark. Connections are proposed at the western end to Shepherds Bush, Acton, Ealing and Wembley town centres and to the Park Royal trading estate. Proposals for cycling infrastructure improvements on Westminster Bridge will also be covered as part of the Better Junctions scheme at Westminster Bridge Road. Our wish is for segregation for cyclists on the bridge, subject to this being feasible. From Westbourne Terrace, it will travel on the Westway Flyover from Westbourne Bridge to Wood Lane and would continue along the A40 Western Avenue. The NORTH-SOUTH Cycle Superhighway would start at Elephant & Castle, where it would connect to the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighway Route 7 (CS7) at Princess Street. From Elephant & Castle the North-South Cycle Superhighway would run along St. George’s Road, through St. George’s Circus, along Blackfriars Road and cross Blackfriars Bridge before connecting to the proposed East-West Cycle Superhighway on the north bank of the River Thames. From Elephant & Castle the North-South Cycle Superhighway would run along St. George's Road, through St. George's Circus, and along Blackfriars Road. It is planned to then continue to. King’s Cross using New Bridge Street, Farringdon Street, Farringdon Road. and quieter backstreet roads. The. southern section between Elephant & Castle and Farringdon station. would be a largely continuous segregated two-way cycle track. North. of Farringdon station, where Farringdon Road is not wide enough for. segregation in both directions, the route will use low-traffic back. streets and/or segregation in one direction, subject to further. consultation with the London Borough of Camden, the highway authority. SOURCE: Greater London Authority. It is planned to continue to King's Cross using New Bridge Street, Farringdon Street, Farringdon Road and quieter backstreet roads.

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North-south route of Mayor's cycleway will run for more than three miles from Elephant & Castle to King's Cross. East-west route will run from Barking to Acton, a distance of over 18 miles, including section on Westway flyover. Protected cycle routes will be created through junctions including Tower Hill, Blackfriars and Parliament Square.