Alphington Link
Location:
Alphington, Fairfield
Type:
Shared use path
Status:
Planned
We’re connecting cyclists and pedestrians in Alphington to the Darebin Creek Trail with a new off-road path – the Alphington Link.
Project update
We’ve been working through detailed planning and design work, to deliver this important link for the local community.
In 2018 we commenced community engagement on the project to inform technical development of plans, designs, and options.
Wider community consultation took place between 8 December 2021 and 31 January 2022 on the proposed designs.
Feedback from this consultation helped develop the final designs to ensure the Alphington Link reflects the needs of the community. Take a look at the updated designs below.
We have now completed the required planning process and received approvals to progress with the project.
We’re currently reviewing construction timeframes for the Alphington Link improvements.
We’ll update the community once we have more information available.
About the Project
The Victorian Government is investing $9.1 million to plan and develop a safe and direct bike riding and walking link for the Alphington community – The Alphington Link.
The new off-road path will provide a 120-metre link to the Darebin Creek Trail and access to over 600km of bike riding and walking paths across Melbourne.
The link will start from Farm Road and connect in with the Darebin Creek Trail, ensuring the local community will no longer need to use busy Heidelberg Road to access the trail.
The link will include a new 3.5-metre-wide Shared Use Path (SUP) that will take bike riders and pedestrians safely over Latrobe Golf Club.
View the updated designs
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Artist’s impressions only, subject to change.
Artist’s impressions only, subject to change.
Artist’s impressions only, subject to change.
Artist’s impressions only, subject to change.
Artist’s impressions only, subject to change.
Benefits of the Alphington Link
The Alphington Link will provide the local community with a safer and more direct route to the Darebin Creek Trail and 600km of bike riding and walking routes.
Improving walking and bike riding connections that enable more Victorians to walk or get on their bike for everyday trips, supports the climate change pledge of 25% active transport mode share by 2030.
SUPs provide benefits to a broad demographic, including families, school children, older people and people with disabilities.
Frequently asked questions
What options did you consider for a SUP in Alphington?
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We considered several different options to connect the local community to the Darebin Creek Trail including:
- Building a path connecting Old Heidelberg Road to the Darebin Creek Trail
- Building a path along the Latrobe Golf Club boundary traversing the rear of properties along Lucerne Crescent
- Building a path connecting Farm Road to the Darebin Creek Trail through Latrobe Golf Club
- Building a SUP and a bridge on the southern road reserve of Heidelberg Road
- Building a path connecting View Street to the Darebin Creek Trail with a bridge over the Yarra
A SUP is for the use of pedestrians and bike riders and designed to standards to provide access for everyone, including people who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
SUP are typically between 2.5 metres and 3.5 metres wide, depending on whether the path is recognised as a local access path, regional path or a recreational path.
The gradient (steepness) of SUPs needs to be designed to standards for accessibility with landing areas used at intervals to achieve acceptable gradients.
Why did you select Farm Road as the preferred option?
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The Farm Road link was selected as it is the most direct route for a SUP to the Darebin Creek Trail that can be built without causing significant impacts on the creek environment or impeding the Darebn Creek floodplain. The Farm Road link is comparatively the shortest and lowest cost option, with other assessed options needing longer structures to be built to acceptable gradient standards.
Why was Old Heidelberg Road not selected?
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We considered several alignment options including accessing the trail via Old Heidelberg Road. This route was not preferred due to the technical constraints of the location requirements to make the path accessible for everyone to use and conflict between trail users, pedestrians and vehicles. This alignment would have heavily impacted the environment and flood plain.
Could access to the Darebin Creek Trail be considered at Old Heidelberg Road?
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Access to the Darebin Creek trail is possible via old Heidelberg Road but can’t be delivered to an appropriate SUP standard without significant capital and environmental cost.
How has community feedback influenced the decision?
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We’ve been investigating potential alignment options to connect the Alphington community to the Darebin Creek Trail since 2018.
To support these investigations, we formed a stakeholder reference group with representatives from community interest groups including local schools and the community coalition for the Darebin Creek Trail.
We’ve also been working with key stakeholders such as Council, Alphington Grammar School, Melbourne Water and Latrobe Golf Club throughout the development of the project.
The preference from these key stakeholders was for the alignment to be the safest and most direct route that ensured bike riders and pedestrians no longer needed to use busy Heidelberg Road..
Based on this feedback, the proposed option of a direct route from Farm Road, through Latrobe Golf Club to the Darebin Creek Trail will best meet the needs of the community.
We presented our designs to the community in December 2021 at two online information sessions. Following these sessions, we invited the community to provide feedback on the designs.
Read the feedback summary here [PDF 1.86 Mb].
Environmental assessment
Download the Flora & Fauna Assessment & Impact Analysis.
Contact us
To find out more about the project please contact us.
Email: [email protected]
Write: Alphington Link, VicRoads, 12 Lakeside Drive, Burwood East 3151