Kate Bastians
CONSTRUCTION is set to start on the long-awaited Bondi Junction cycleway in the middle of this year.
The separated cycle path along Oxford St will link Bondi Rd in the east to York Rd in the west at Centennial Park, which will eventually connect to the city via the planned two-way cycleway along Moore Park Rd.
A Waverley Council spokeswoman said the Bondi Junction cycleway would bypass the Oxford St mall via Spring St.
“Detail design is in progress and we expect to go to tender for construction in May,” she said. “We expect the works to commence in June/July 2018.”
But while funding has been committed to the route through the Junction, the council is seeking more financial help from Roads and Maritime Services to complete the link to Bondi Beach.
Last Thursday the council’s traffic committee approved an upgrade of the Old South Head Rd shared path between Bon Accord Ave and Victoria Rd.
That would form part of an alternative route to Bondi Beach, illustrated by the blue line on the map, via Victoria and Birriga Rdswhich are in Woollahra Council’s patch. It would then connect to the beach via Curlewis St, which is in Waverley’s LGA.
BIKEast spokesman Mark Worthington said the existing shared path along Victoria Rd was “of a poor standard” and the lanes on Birriga Rd are “unsafe”.Upgrades to these sections are required to complete the “City to Surf” link, he said.
Mr Worthington said delays in delivering safer bike routes was “frustrating” but he was glad to see the Bondi Junction cycleway progressing.
Waverley’s spokeswoman said: “Council has applied for funding from the RMS to do a design development for a separated cycleway to replace the shared path along Old South Head Road. That will take a number of years to achieve even if we are successful in obtaining funding.”
Their priority route to the beach is via Bon Accord, Martins and Lamrock Aves to Campbell Pde, shown by the orange line on the map.
A spokesman for Woollahra Council said it is currently focusing on delivering the Double Bay to Rose Bay cycle route along New South Head Rd and is also investigating a link from Rose Bay to Bondi Beach via O’Sullivan Rd.
“Council supports Waverley Council’s planned upgrade to Old South Head Road and will be addressing other routes such as Birriga Rd and Victoria Rd once Council’s priority cycleways are delivered,” he said.
