The luminous green cable stay bridge over Footscray Road in Melbourne’s Docklands is open.
The first riders took to the amazing, curved structure just after 7am yesterday morning, cutting minutes of traffic-signal delay from their journey, and removing the risks at road crossings.
The bridge was busy all morning as hundreds of riders along the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail commuted to the city for work.
For the rest of the day, riders were making trips to Docklands to sample the experience of what the world looks like when bike transport is given the same top-quality treatment as other transport modes.
Although some small elements remain to be completed, from a rider perspective it is ready to try out.
Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack said many more people will embrace bike riding as Victoria develops more facilities like this.
“Riding your bike is a rewarding, healthy and relaxing experience when you have great facilities that are attractive and reduce risk.
“The people in cars looking up at riders on this bridge are going to be so jealous that they will get their bike out of the shed to try it out,” she said.
The 300-metre-long structure has been hovering alluringly over Footscray Road for months as the finishing touches have been applied to the structure.
The bridge, suspended by cables from two 40-metre-tall steel pylons, is part of the 14km of new and upgraded bike paths being delivered by the West Gate Tunnel Project.
It will form part of the Veloway system, which is completely separated from truck traffic, that will bring riders into the city from Footscray and the Moonee Ponds Creek and Capital City trails.
The bridge is spacious, the surface is smooth and the gradient enticing. As the facility is new, riders will need to keep alert for errant pedestrians and other riders who might be unfamiliar with the set up.
Construction continues on other sections of the project, including completion of the walking and cycling bridge over the North Melbourne Station railway lines.
The Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Gabrielle Williams, described the bridge as a “game-changer” and a big step towards transforming the corridor into an elevated cycling super-highway between the city and the west.
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