Julian said it was a high-class carriageway for pedestrians and cyclists, and was well linked by the light rail line and, by late next year, metro trains on the south-west section of the M1 line.
“My favourite bit will be the connection under Parramatta Road. That was a real hassle coming up from the original first half of the GreenWay, [where] you’d have to suddenly straddle Parramatta Road and back streets. But now we can go straight under. It’s a fantastic feat,” he said.
Inner West Council mayor Darcy Byrne said the GreenWay would draw people from across Sydney on weekends, especially when the final stage of the M1 metro line opens next year.
“The GreenWay was a vision that our community created more than two decades ago, and to see that vision now finally being brought to life – it’s a red letter day for everybody in the inner west,” he said.
The pathway largely follows the route of the light rail line, and comprises tunnels under Constitution Road, Davis and Longport streets, as well as underpasses beneath New Canterbury and Parramatta roads.
People walking and cycling along the Dulwich Hill section of the GreenWay.Credit: Edwina Pickles
Byrne said the tunnels were complex and expensive, which was why the project had taken years to complete. “Tunnelling under existing road infrastructure that’s decades or centuries old is just really very challenging,” he said.
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The project has been funded over the years by more than $41 million from the NSW government, $11 million from Inner West Council and a further $6 million from the federal government.
The latter sum will be spent on building a tunnel under Old Canterbury Road, which was in the design phase and part of ongoing improvements along the corridor.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham said the GreenWay illustrated rapid changes in the way people moved around the city, and would prove popular for locals and visitors alike. “[It] will add greatly to the network and, as you can see, this is going to be wildly popular,” he said. “This beautiful arc, green space, active cycleway-walkway – that’s a great addition.”
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