After a long delay in 2016 when a company selected to do the work went bankrupt, the “waste land” section of the Bay Run along the Haberfield section next to the City West Link is finished. Cyclists have a separate 2.5-3m m wide cycleway, next to a pedestrian path, similar to the rest of the Bay Run, excepting the Iron Cove Bridge, where cyclists and pedestrians share a lane in each direction.

There is new vegetation to replace the trees and shrubs removed in 2016. And also an Armco barrier along part of the road just after Timbrell Drive, to stop errant motor cars from running onto the bike path, which is very close to the road at some points. The barrier as at June 2022 does not extend the whole length of the new path, leaving path users vulnerable. 

No barrier on City West Link next to Bay Run.

As you can see from the image above people on the Bay Run are vulnerable to any motor vehicle running off the road.
The diagram below shows the cross section on the project’s planning documents, showing the armco barrier.

bay run cross section

An Inner West Council engineer told me they would also be improving the section between UTS rowing club and the underpass of the City West Link, where there is currently a sharp bend and a step in the pavement levels. The old timber railings will hopefully go too, as they are about to collapse, and would not stop a small child from sailing under the top railing into the Bay. [Note added in 2022- most of this has been upgraded.]

Iron Cove reflections
Reflections on Iron Cove from the Bay Run.

Update 2022– Further upgrades and a detour route.

IW Council has upgraded the path between UTS Rowers and the ramp up to the Lilyfield Rd bridge over Hawthorne Canal. There is now a wider separated foot and bike path and a new stone embankment at the edge of Iron Cove. You still have to take care past the Rowing Club of people leaving and entering and also congregating at the coffee kiosk on one side.

The promised work on the ramp up to the Lilyfield Rd bridge is due in June to August 2022. This will lead to the path being closed here during the works. A detour route for cyclists will be signposted via the footbridge over the canal at Blackmore Park and up Dobroyd Pde, Tillock St (steep), into Crescent St, Boomerang and Mortley Av, to cross the City West Link onto Timbrell Dr. Children and their carers and any cyclist unwilling to tackle the traffic or terrain on the detour will be allowed to use the pedestrian detour, which will take a flatter route via footpath that runs around the north side of the houses on Dobroyd Point overlooking the City West Link. It has a bend with poor sight lines at one point, so take extra care if using that. Also take care when crossing Boomerang St, which has traffic off the City West Link. There will be a new path across Robson Park to the Mortley Av corner.

Crossing the CWLink is dangerous at present, but Council has promised to install a barrier to give more room for cyclists on the far side of the intersection, where you will have to wait to cross Timbrell Dr to get onto the Bay Run.

For a map of the detour, see here.

To avoid the area, from Norton St, try using Allen St, crossing the light rail at Hawthorne Station and then Barton St, Dalhousie and Waratah St, crossing into Timbrell Park via a wooden footbridge over the Iron Cove Ck canal.

Bay Run Upgrades
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One thought on “Bay Run Upgrades

  • October 26, 2018 at 4:41 pm
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    Update, October 2018.
    Stage 2 of the project, from UTS club to and under Lilyfield Rd bridge, is in the design phase and should reach construction stage in 2019. Funds are from the Greenway project I believe.
    Tree root damage will be repaired, a new wider ramp up to Lilyfield Rd bridge built, and the sharp kinks in the path removed.
    Also, Inner West Council is attempting to get RMS to put in the armco barrier along the City West Link, as mentioned in the original post.

    Reply

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