Wagga Wagga City Council has started construction of one of the Active Travel Plan shared paths.
The council announced on Friday (9 September) that work on the Forest Hill link had begun.
The link will include two pedestrian footbridges and a one-kilometre shared path between Vincent and Kooringal roads.
The $15.8 million Active Travel Plan is a 56 km network of dedicated cycle paths that, when complete, will crisscross the city and provide residents with safe travel alternatives promoting active modes of transport.
The project is designed to improve health, enhance the city’s liveability and attract new visitors for sporting and recreational activities.
Wagga council’s associate director projects Silas Darby said weather permitting, the Forest Hill link should be completed by the end of February 2023.
“It’s great to see the first section of the Forest Hill link begin,” Mr Darby said.
“We’ll be installing two bridges over Marshalls Creek that are three metres wide and about 20 metres in length.
“During construction, we ask the public to take extra care when in the area as there will be heavy vehicles and machinery on site.
“The second section of the link will run alongside the disused rail corridor through to Elizabeth Avenue. Work for this section will start pending approval from UGL.”
Mr Darby said carrying out the work for a project that spanned the city was not a linear process.
“It’s rather like putting together a jigsaw puzzle,” he said.
“The construction of link sections is dependent on weather and the availability of contractors and building materials.”
In June, the city council installed signage to educate the community about shared path etiquette for the Active Travel Plan.
The signage can be seen along 13 shared paths, completed as part of the plan to provide safe travel routes for adults and children to cycle, walk, scoot or skateboard to destinations around the city.
Seven of the 13 links for Active Travel are complete, including the Red Hill Road, Eastern levee, Kapooka, Fay Avenue, Lake Albert, Wollundry and Pomingalarna.
The status for the remaining Active Travel Plan links is:
Morgan is 95 per cent complete; Kooringal 90 per cent; Central 85 per cent; University 75 per cent; Bourke 60 per cent; and Forest Hill 2 per cent.
The Active Travel Plan is jointly funded by the NSW Government and Wagga Wagga City Council.