After an extended six-year closure the section of the Federation Trail along the West Gate Freeway is finally open for bikes again.
The trail was closed in 2018 when work began on the West Gate Tunnel Project, which included the construction of tunnel entrances and exits and the widening and construction of additional lanes on the Freeway.
The original trail, which ran close to the previous Freeway alignment, had to be moved to make way for extra lanes, gantry structures, various poles and junction boxes for the electronics for the heavily camered and sensored road.
The new section is greatly improved, wide and much smoother, with better line-marking, signage, fencing and handrails, and a new protection screen between riders and the freeway.
Because the actual path was completed quite some time ago, many riders were puzzled why the trail could not have been reopened earlier. However, there was much more work to be done, with the erection of gantries and signs for the freeway, and the installation of all the lighting and power for the freeway adjacent to the bike path, with the landscaping finally signed off just days ago.
There is a tiny amount of works still to come but no closures of the trail will be required.
The reopened section is from Fogarty Avenue, Yarraville to Millers Road, Brooklyn. Note that the section from Millers Road on towards the bridge over the Kororoit Creek is now closed for resurfacing. Details about the detour are here.
While the formal trailhead for the Federation Trail is at Fogarty Avenue, Yarraville, near the Footscray Hockey Club, a new section of trail has been built in the inbound direction along towards Williamstown Road.
At Williamstown Road right now a massive, long, ramp is being constructed to take bikes across and above both Williamstown Road and the railway line to connect the the already built ramp down to Hyde Street at the Stony Creek. Here, it will connect to the Bay Trail West along Hyde Street and Douglas Parade. See photo below.
This will effectively link the Federation Trail right through to the Melbourne CBD via the Veloway along Footscray Road.
It will also provide a link down to a future new path along Hall Street, Spotswood to Newport.
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