Contractors, including Mike from Pil Bros Contracting, are connecting Forest Hill to Wagga’s Active Travel Network. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
If you live in Forest Hill and have a bike, scooter or skateboard, or just like a long uninterrupted walk, 2026 is going to be a very good year – when east meets west, and Forest Hill is finally connected to the Wagga Active Travel Network.
Work has been steadily progressing on the 3.3 km path along the rail corridor between Bakers Lane and Elizabeth Avenue and is set to officially open in the new year. The Forest Hill section will account for 8.6 km of the network that consists of 13 cycling links totalling 56 km designed to connect outer hubs, including Forest Hill and Charles Sturt University at Estella, to recreational facilities and the central business district.
Wagga City Council said about 30 people inclusive of council staff and contractors had worked to get the $2.4 million dollar Forest Hill path built.
The Forest Hill section of Wagga’s Active Travel Network is being finalised to officially open in the new year. Picture: Wagga Wagga City Council.
“It will provide residents of the areas where the path is located an opportunity to ride or walk for recreational or commuting purposes predominantly off-road with minimal traffic interactions,” a council spokesperson said.
“It will provide a much safer option to the current options that cyclists have when traveling to the CBD from Forest Hill.”
Tradies have been doing the hard yards for the past few weeks to connect Forest Hill to the Wagga Active Travel Network. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
The Bakers Lane section and short section of path that will link it to Mitchell Road are in the final stages of construction, while minor works are still being completed on the Elizabeth Avenue path.
While access is restricted with fluorescent mesh barriers and signs identifying construction sites, some locals have already started to explore.
“I thought it was all still shut as the signs were still up, but today I saw a lot of bike riders and some dog walkers on the track,” Forest Hill local Elizabeth said.
“It was confusing as the metal gate was opened (opposite Kendall Drive at Wagga Airport), and when I saw all these people on it, I tried it too.
“It’s fantastic! I’ve been champing at the bit for it to open, and I left at 7:30 am, and it’s taken me until 9 am to get back, so it’s much longer that the 45 minutes around Lake Albert.”
The Wagga Active Trail Network features more than 50 km of shared paths linking outer suburbs to the city centre.
The centrepiece is the 42 km Wiradjuri Trail that links all the city trails: the 5.5 km Lake Albert loop, the 9 km River to Wetland path along the Murrumbidgee River, the 3 km Wollundry Lagoon Loop that is yet to fully open, the 3.6 km Pomingalarna Reserve, and the connecting 1.5 km purpose-built Wagga Multisport Cycling Complex. The Hammond Avenue link will start at the entry to the Equex Centre on Copland Street, and along Kooringal Road, to Hammond Ave (Sturt Highway).
“It is a great time of year for people to hop on their bikes or to take a walk or run along the completed links in the extensive network,” Manager City Growth & Regional Assets Ben Creighton said.
“The Kyeamba Avenue section is almost complete, with the new blister crossing on Vincent Road installed in early December.
“The 3.3 km path along the rail corridor between Bakers Lane and Elizabeth Avenue at Forest Hill has been constructed, with minor works including line marking, symbols and signage still to be installed on a small section of the path.”
The next phase is to extend the trail to Ladysmith. The Wagga Rail Trail Committee has been trying to get this project underway for years.
A steering committee to oversee the investigation of the funding and feasibility of the rail trail project will meet in February 2026.
