After all the planning and consultation, it’s always nice when a few cycling projects start to materialise in terms of shovels in the ground. A couple of recent projects are now starting to take shape around the city; while they’re underway though you might have to make alternative arrangements.
Firstly, the improvements to the eastern end of the Uni-Cycle Major Cycleway route have started. As reported previously, this project includes the widening of both the pathway through North Hagley Park (from Armagh St to Matai St) and also the widening of the pathway next to Chch Boys High between Straven Rd and Kahu Rd. This work will probably take about three months to complete and while it is underway you may be best to find an alternative route to use (e.g. Kilmarnock St cycle lanes are fairly OK).
Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, work has also started on the $20 million bike adventure park being created in the Port Hills near Cracroft. This is looking like being a fantastic facility when it is all done (hopefully by the end of this year), attracting locals and out-of-town visitors alike. In the meantime however, some of the existing tracks in the construction area (Cashmere Forest between Dyers Pass Rd and Worsleys Rd) are closed while they cut new trails and construct other facilities.
The Council also continues to vote through other planned cycleway projects. The first section of the Rapanui-Shagrock cycleway through Linwood was approved for construction just the other day, following the additional consultation to consider an alternative route.
The most annoying aspect is that the proposal to provide a quieter cycling route by cutting Worcester St in half at England St has been removed, due to some concerns by businesses that this would badly affect them – given that there are parallel routes either side of Worcester only 100m away with regular cross-roads, I fail to see how this will be the case. So we will have to see whether the new neighbourhood greenway through here is sufficiently cycle-friendly for the “interested but concerned”.
There continue to be other little cycleway improvements popping up, as parts of the city are built. For example, I noticed today some brand new paths around the Wigram Skies area as that rapidly develops – I may have to get out there some time for a closer look and report back. And work continues to redevelop parts of the central city for all travel modes including cycling.
Have you noticed any other recent cycleway constructions?
The section of the coastal pathway along Beachville Road is just about there. It will be joined up with the Causeway section by going along Beachville Road (less than ideal due to having to cross dozens of driveways but less of a political hot potato than following the coastline) and then through a naturalised area with boardwalks opposite Redcliffs Park. Hopefully the next step will be a kids bike skills park alongside the pathway.
I’m interested to know if the cycle way beside Wigram Road is to be continued on to and over the new over bridge crossing Curletts Rd and thereby connecting to the cycle way along the motor way at Annex Rd? The current option along Lunns Rd is a bit hit and miss, luckily mostly miss.
Yes, that is the plan; the new bridge includes a pathway that connects the two parts of the Southern Motorway cycleway. More details about the plan can be seen in our earlier post:
http://cyclingchristchurch.co.nz/2013/07/20/first-look-southern-motorway-cycleway-pt-2/
Should all be completed towards the end of the year.
The page that the link “Wigram-Magdala Link” goes to to see the progress on Wigram Rd over Curletts Rd to Magdala Pl and on to Birmingham Dr has gone. Do you have a new link? I am very keen to try this route once it is finished.
Good old CCC changing webpages on us… try the link that’s there now; that should get you what you need
The widening of the pathway through North Hagley Park from Armagh St to Matai St starts Monday 18th April, taking 8 weeks or so.
http://hagleygc.org.nz/cycleway-widening-in-hagley-park/