Hills M2 Motorway - Status of Works on the Interim Cycle Detour

Stage 1 works

The stage 1 works were very minimal as the timeframe for the project was being driven by The RTA's and Transurban's "requirements" rather than by doing to job properly. Without the intervention of Bike North the detour route would have been unusable!

The information here is a summary of the work agreed on by the working party (RTA, BN, Transurban, RydeCC).

Stage 1 works were supposed to be completed by March 20, 2007

KEY:
: work not begun
: work begun but not completed
: work completed

Work to be done (summary)	Status
Detour start Create new cycle path from the M2 just west of Lane Cove Rd into the end of Talavera Rd. This passes through M2 vehicle compound. The path will be 2.0m wide (one way path) with edgelines and fencing and a single bollard at each end. To include signage with distance back to M2, and "no entry" signs at the Talavera end to stop pedestrians and cyclists from going the wrong way along it.
Talavera Rd western end Kerb ramp to be contructed into cul-de-sac. Council to upgrade existing lighting. Logos on road and watch for cycists type signange.
Talavera / Lane Cove Rd intersection On road logos and M2 Detour signage just before and after intersection. Signage advising the closed shoulder placed further north on Lane Cove to advise cyclists that they can no longer enter the westbound M2 at this point.
Talavera to Khartoum On road section with bike logos in left lane and M2 Detour signage on poles. At Khartoum intersection the detour goes onto an existing Shared User Path (SUP)
Talavera: Khartoum to Macquarie Centre driveways Use existing SUP (two way for bikes and peds). Continuing M2 detour singnage, logos on SUP with longitudinal linemarking as per NSW Bicycle guidelines. Trees to be trimmed to avoid interference with cyclists on SUP.
Talavera: Macquarie Centre driveways to Herring Rd intersection Traffic signals at Mq shops driveways to be upgraded. Continued logos and M2 Detour signage on SUP and on left lane of road. Foliage near Mq shops driveways to be cleared. New on-raod green painted bicycle lane to be created at the point where current left vehicle begins for traffic to turn left into Herring Road. Some cyclists will choose to use the SUP but he detour route here is on-road again. The new lane will take cyclists up the hill allowing left turning cars to turn left behind them.
Talavera: Herring Rd intersection to Christie Rd intersection Continue on-road cycle lane (green paint for a short distance). Continue SUP logo markings and on-road markings and signage. Council to investigate driveway to Siemens re give way and other signage as this driveway is a potential hazard.
Talavera: Christie Rd intersection to MGSM roundabout Continue on-road cycle lane. Continue SUP logo markings and on-road markings and signage. At Christie Rd the detour is back on the SUP with continued signage and logos and M2 detour signage.
Talavera: MGSM roundabout to Culloden roundabout Continue SUP logo markings, on-road markings and signage. At MGSM roundabout there is to be warning signage for vehicles exiting MGSM.
Talavera: Culloden roundabout to Waterloo roundabout On-road markings and signage continue, there is no SUP here. At Culloden roundabout there is to be warning signage on other approaches so motorists are aware that cyclists will be in the roundabout. Cyclists using the SUP will go back on-road into Culloden at this roundabout. The SUP around the corner will be upgraded, possibly in stage 2 works. Council has a new roundabout planned at Taranto Rd but this is not part of the M2 detour project.
Talavera: Waterloo roundabout to Vimiera roundabout On-road markings and signage continue. At Waterloo roundabout cyclist can choose to use existing SUP but in this stage of works there is no plan to allow easy access to that path. Most riders will stay on-road. Warning signs at roundabout and M2 detour signage to continue.
Waterloo: Waterloo roundabout to Vimiera roundabout On-road markings and signage continue. SUP markings to be created here also. The recetnly constructed roundabout at Trafalgar and the entry to the Uni housing will have logos and M2 detour signage. At Vimiera Rd cyclists on the SUP need to go on-road. The path around the corner has recently been upgraded as part of another project.
Vimiera: Vimiera roundabout to Epping Rd intersection On-road markings and signage continue. No SUP here. Cycle warning signs will be placed on other approaches to the roundabout. Signage will also be erected at the Vimiera Rd cul-de-sac and the current cycle entry gate to the M2 westbound will be locked. There is a squeeze point and traffic calming road blister (pedestrian refuge) which is a potential hazard here as motorists commonly drive ILLEGALLY in the cycle lane during afternoon peak. "Watch for cyclists" signage to be erected near Dayman place turn.
Vimiera: Epping Rd intersection to Pembroke roundabout On-road markings and signage continue. No SUP here. Cyclists use narrow on-road cycle lane for this short section. Cycle warning signs will be placed on other approaches to the Pembroke roundabout.
Pembroke: Pembroke to Terry's creek On-road markings and signage continue on Pembroke. The cyclists use the existing off-raod cycle path. The path will get upgrades including: retro-reflective hazard strip on bollards and poles, edge-line marking of the track, standard bike-pedestrian fence to be installed on the short bridge before the Terry's ck crossing including reflective markers and flaring on the ends.
Pembroke: Terry's creek Here there will be a fence installed along the edge of Epping rd to create a minimal barrier for cyclists and pedestrians using this very narrow crossing. The crossing itself will be ONE WAY with west bound cyclists/pedestrians having right of way. A holding area will be marked up and give way signage installed for east bound cyclists/peds. Foliage to be trimmed.
Pembroke: Terry's creek to Pembroke / Epping rd intersection (lights) Reflective strips added to the bridge after Terry's ck crossing, and the fence flared on entry to the bridge. Foliage trimmed. Logos and detour signage on-road up Pembroke. Continuing M2 detour signage with distance to M2 re-entry given.
Pembroke: Pembroke / Epping rd intersection (lights) to Pembroke / Essex roundabout This is a very difficult crossing and upgrades are planned in Stage 2 works. Stage 1 includes only signage and logos. Cyclists here are expected to use an inappropriate kerb ramp to mount the footpath after crossing Epping Road, then climb this very steep pinch, avoiding poles and ELP, and pedestrians, then flick back to the on-road cycle lane (which is usually full of parked cars) to climb the rest of the hill (not quite so steep). Most cyclists should elect to use the road at the corner.
Essex: Pembroke / Essex roundabout to Essex Oxford roundabout No SUP. No on-road cycle lane. Logos and signage to be provided. This street is heavily parked out most of the time.
Essex: Essex Oxford roundabout to Chester / Cambridge intersection No SUP. No on-raod cycle lane. Logos and signage to be provided. M2 detour signage and cyclist warning signs to be provided on other approaches to the roundabout.
Cambridge: Chester / Cambridge intersection through Bus underpass to Beecroft Rd At right turn into Cambrige 10m of double line barrier to be painted on road. Signage and logos continue. At entry to bus enderpass signage indicating cyclist are allowed entry to be erected. Lighting to be installed in the tunnel.
End of Bus underpass on Beecroft Rd to M2 re-entry point Lots of work to be done here. Signage and logos of course. Cyclists do not cross Beecroft Rd it but will travel contra-flow on the footpath. The armco fence is to be moved back closer to the deep culvit, poles are to be moved, and an ELP needs to be moved (cannot be done in the stage 1 timeframe). The new path is to be sealed. Most of the path will be 2m wide, some sections 1.6m - it is a ONE-WAY cycle only path. At the M2/beecroft road left turn off ramp a short section of fence will deflect cyclsts to the pedestrian crossing. At the rigth turn off-ramp crossing signals with cycle lanterns are to be installed. A bitumen path to be constructed across the wasteland to the M2 barrier where cyclists will re-join the M2 shoulder. Cut in barrier to be made. Up-stream from the entry point on the M2 vehicles will be merged back into two lanes and a section of concrete barrier will stop vehicles on the M2 from using the cycle lane.