A project to extend the Main Yarra Trail out to Warrandyte is shifting through the gears and a new stretch of shared path is complete.
Warrandyte is a popular destination for tourism and recreation and its array of galleries, arts and craft stores, cafes and swimming holes attracts visitors.
But riders who reach the end of the 36km Main Yarra Trail in Eltham can only travel to the Warrandyte CBD via footpaths and main roads.
The City of Manningham plans to improve this connection and provide a continuous bike link between Warrandyte and the Melbourne CBD through the Main Yarra Trail Extension project, which is being built in four stages.
The section between Alexander Road and Pound Road was finished in 2020, and work is wrapping up on a second section between Alexander Road and Beasley's Nursery.
Workers will install safety fencing along certain sections of the path later this month, and have also planted native shrubs, trees and grass in the area.
The final two sections, between Pound Road and Taroona Avenue, and then along Taroona Avenue, are expected to be complete by the end of 2024.
The Main Yarra Trail Extension is part of the Manningham Bicycle Strategy and its Active for Life Recreation Strategy.
The council expects the trail to boost participation in riding and walking by connecting to schools, shops and workplaces, while also attracting recreational riders from the Melbourne CBD.