The regularly flooded ford across the Kororoit Creek estuary at Altona is to be upgraded for greater flow capacity and improved safety for bike riders.
The ford is a vital link on Bay Trail West, connecting from Williamstown through to Altona and beyond.
It is severely degraded and becomes submerged whenever there is decent precipitation in the creek catchment.
These events often result in the closure of the crossing, with no car-free route options available to bypass and reconnect with the trail.
The City of Hobsons Bay is about to embark on a substantial project to replace the ford with a modern, robust structure.
Work starts on Monday 18 November and will continue until June next year, resulting in an unavoidable, lengthy closure of this crossing, with no convenient alternative connection available other than the bike lanes on busy Kororoit Creek and Millers Roads.
Many confident riders take this road route without great concern, but it would be daunting for riders who prefer a quiet trail environment.
The new crossing will accommodate a vehicle carriageway and a shared-user path with safety guard rails, as well as installation of an electronic flood-warning system.
The upgrade will affect a limited area of native vegetation, which has been minimised to facilitate the necessary work.
A significant aspect of this project includes the construction of a fish ladder designed to enhance the migration of fish, aquatic life and bird species, both upstream and downstream, thereby supporting their feeding, breeding, and genetic diversity.
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