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Wollert will welcome bike route

Important bike facilities are on the cards for the burgeoning residential communities in Melbourne’s outer north.

Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) has investigated a potential upgrade of Craigieburn Road East from the Hume Freeway entry ramp and Epping Road in Wollert, which will provide high-quality off-road trails.

The road is a scary riding prospect, yet riders currently have no alternatives. 

Much of Craigieburn Road East is a future Strategic Cycling Corridor (SCC), which links to SCCs at Craigieburn Station, Epping Road, Boundary Road and Bridge Inn Road via the SCC proposed along easements down to the Northern Hospital on Cooper Street, Epping.

Population is growing rapidly across Melbourne's north, placing intense pressure on transport networks.

While the developers of these suburbs are generally providing local bike infrastructure, the key bike connections linking the region are not yet built.

Getting bike and pedestrians links into projects earlier would enable more education and work trips to be taken by bike, easing dependency on car travel.

MRPV has completed its development work and a business case that provides a detailed examination of the potential upgrade has been completed,too.  

In a community survey, 82% of respondents said they would like a separate walking/cycling path to be built alongside Craigieburn Road East.

Details of the business case are not yet known but it is expected to include a shared path separated from the road and linked to the local path network.

There would be a crossing installed at Wimmera Crescent where the north-south SCC intersects with Craigieburn Road East.

The Galada Tamboore Trail, which runs along the Hume Freeway alignment to Craigieburn also intersects with Craigieburn Road East at the Curly Sedge Creek crossing. A new riding arrangement will be required here.

The rationale for not upgrading the road to the west of the Hume Freeway has not been announced.

That short distance of 1.4km (5 minutes by bike), with a decent bike facility to replace the terrible section of road, would enable the residents of Woolert’s western sector to get to Craigieburn Station by bike.

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