I walked over to attend the opening of the Greenway Cycleway and Walkway at Johnston Park near the Arlington Light Rail Station. It was fantastic to see this project finally completed. Back in 2011, on this blog, I wrote about the campaign to complete the Greenway Cycleway. At that time, the NSW Government had made the decision to complete the light rail to Dulwich Hill, but not complete the Greenway Cycleway and Walkway. This was despite a large community campaign to complete it.
It would have made a lot more sense and been much cheaper to complete the Greenway at the same time as the light rail construction was taking place, and completing it later has been quite expensive at around $57 million. But was in complete now, is probably a lot better than what was being thought of back in 2011.
The opening ceremony was very well attended, which shows the communities feeling about having this active transport project completed.
There was a long, but fats moving queue to the free sausage sandwiches and drinks. Provided by Inner West Council.
Here are some of the offical speakers –
And then with friends, I walked along the Greenway to Taverners Hill Light Rail Station.
The new work is very impressive.
There is artwork along the way. This tunnel has glow in the dark fungi –
Here is the upper part of Long Cove Creek –
More art –
The most impressive engineering work is between Gadigal Reserve near the western railway line and Parramatta Road. It is a series of tunnels and cantilevered raised cycleway.
You get a good view of the heritage listed Whipple Truss –
This Whipple Truss, was part of the second railway bridge that spanned Long Cove Creek. The first was a sandstones viaduct, but this bridge was unsatisfactory (I am not sure if the stone was too soft or the ground subsided). So it was replaced by a truss bridge, and an American design was chosen – a Whipple Truss. Later, when that bridge was replaced, part of the Whipple Truss was preserved.
In Gadigal Reserve is this geological display –
And this is the cycleway under Parramatta Road –
I caught a tram back from Taverners Hill. In the future I will inspect the other half of the new work between Arlington and Dulwich Hill.
Thanks to all those involved for ensuring that this project was undertaken and completed.