City of Melbourne contractors will move into Arden Street in North Melbourne next Tuesday to begin construction of new bike lanes along the 3km street.
The project will build a mixture of bike lane styles between the Moonee Ponds Creek in the west and the Wreckyn Street roundabout in the east.
The corridor is a key east-west link, connecting to bike routes along the creek, along Dynon Road, on Laurens and Abbotsford streets, and via Wreckyn Street through to the just open new facilities on Grattan Street.
It is a major bike route for commuters to Melbourne University and the Parkville hospital and medical research precinct.
Importantly, it will provide access for train travellers, works and residents of the large-scale developments coming soon to the Arden Station precinct after the station opens next year.
During construction bike access will be maintained at all times.
Work hours will be 7am to 5pm Monday to Friday, with occasional overnight and weekend work required.
The project will be underway for about five months, subject to weather interruptions.
As part of the project, road lanes will be reduced to one in each direction. Because of the historic two-lane bridge over the Moonee Ponds Creek at the end of Arden Street, through-traffic volumes are forever constrained and two lanes on Arden Street are suitable and safer.
About 40 parking spaces are being removed to make space for the project and 204 will remain.
Mostly the new bike lanes will be alongside the kerb and bluestone pitcher paver gutters will be reduced in width to make the surface rideable.
Between Curzon and Errol Streets, on the north side of Arden, the lane will stay in its current position behind a row of angle parking. This poor design outcome – bike lanes should never be placed close behind angle parking – is intended to retain four trees.
A number of planter islands have been specified along the street to provide opportunities for vegetation.
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