Update 22 May: This article was amended to reflect delays to the works and the new start date of Tuesday 30 May.
Bikes heading into the city down Rathdowne Street face a detour in the coming weeks due to a water main project.
The bike lane and the left traffic lane will be closed each day between Queensberry Street and Victoria Street for four weeks from Tuesday 30 May 2023.
Greater Western Water is replacing the old main in Rathdowne with new pipe as part of a project which will also replace the main along Victoria Street, work that will get underway later in the year.
Bike riders will be detoured at the intersection of Queensberry Street, then on to Lygon Street to connect to Russell Street and into the city, using existing bike lanes. See map.
As the works are taking place at night, this will result in Rathdowne Street southbound being fully closed in the evenings with all traffic being detoured.
Detour signs will be in place at all times. Traffic management will be on-site during construction hours to assist.
To complete these works the contractors need to excavate sections of the bike lane to remove and replace the old water main. This will make the bike lane unrideable until the asphalt can be reinstated.
The left lane and bike lane are being closed to store equipment and materials until these works are completed.
The upgrade works at night will be between 7:00pm and 6:00am Sunday to Thursday each week.
Riders with a destination in the east of the CBD may choose to use Canning Street and cross to Nicholson Street rather than the Lyon Street detour.