27th August 2024, 12:58 pm
Legislative Council of Victoria, Melbourne
David ETTERSHANK (Western Metropolitan):
My constituency question is for the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and concerns the West Gate Tunnel Project’s new cycling infrastructure.
The completed sections of the Federation Trail between Millers Road and Fogarty Avenue and the Rainbow Bridge across North Melbourne station may look fabulous but are of no use to anyone as they remain closed to the public.
Cyclists have been told that this is due to contractual issues around graffiti and maintenance, and therefore they are forced to take long and dangerous detours until the entire project is completed. Just two weeks ago the coroner investigating the death of cyclist Angus Collins highlighted the tragic consequences when adequate safety measures around bikes and vehicles are not in place.
My constituent asks: will the minister facilitate negotiations between West Gate Tunnel Project contractors and councils to ensure that completed paths of cycling infrastructure are opened to the public as soon as possible?
Written Answer
Received: 09 October 2024
Hon. Danny Pearson
(Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC)
I thank the Member for his question.
As part of the West Gate Tunnel Project, we are delivering more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, including an Australian-first 2.5km veloway down Footscray Road, upgrading the Federation Trail and building a new Dynon Road path that is fully separated from other vehicles.
We are working with the parties involved in delivering the West Gate Tunnel Project to have parts of the new and upgraded walking and cycling paths opened as soon as possible. While a lot of the work has been done on these paths, there are still some outstanding matters that need to be resolved before the paths can safely open. This includes construction activity on other assets around the paths.
We appreciate the patience and understanding of cyclists and pedestrians as we get close to finishing construction on the West Gate Tunnel Project. Once the timing of any path opening has been confirmed, the project team will communicate this to cyclists and the broader community.
[ENDS]
