Stage 2a Light Rail update - how road works will affect cyclists.

The Light rail works are just about to have a significant impact on bike routes over the next 2 weekends, 6th December and 13th December, (or a bit later if the weather becomes lousy).

There will be diversions and delays, however the diversions will be different for bikes compared with motor vehicles. We’ve got in touch with the engineers and we want to give you a simpler story here, just for bike riders.

Over 2 weekends in the near future, Commonwealth Avenue is going to be straightened out again between the Commonwealth Avenue bridge and Vernon Circle. On the first weekend they will completely close the northbound (western) side of Commonwealth Avenue, and on the second weekend they will close the southbound (eastern) side.

Cars will be completely blocked in one direction on both weekends, with complex and wiggly diversions. However, because there are 2-way multi-user paths on both sides of the bridge, you will be able to cross the bridge on your bike in either direction using the open side, even when the other side is closed, (unlike cars).

Having said that, you will still need to look out for traffic on the slip roads going to/from Parkes Way as you normally do. Nevertheless there is still plenty of room for bikes in both directions.

If you need to get to the other side of Commonwealth Avenue because of the road closures, there is a decent bike path on the inside of Vernon Circle round the south, between Edinburgh Ave and Constitution Ave that will let you cross over on the north side.  On the south side you can use the bike ramps to get to the path that goes under the bridge on Flynn Drive.

If you don’t need to get to anywhere inside London Circuit, you will probably find it easier to follow the paths from the north end of the bridge that branch out through the parks to the footbridges over Parkes Way that take you to Marcus Clarke Street in the west and Allara Street in the east. Both these routes should remain open during the big road-closure weekends in the next couple of weeks.

This is the best information that Pedal Power has as of 02 December. We’ll do your best to keep you up to date, and thank you to the Lightrailtowoden gang who are doing a grand job in considering the needs of bike riders!