Docklands | Green Bike Bridge

A 220-metre cable-suspended bridge is now open, connecting the Capital City and Moonee Ponds Creek cycling trails. Construction of a 2.5-kilometre "veloway" (an express route for bike riders) between Footscray and Docklands remains ongoing, while a new bridge over Dynon Road, which has been dubbed the rainbow bridge thanks to its multicoloured panelling, remains closed. Green bike bridge's overdue opening a welcome sight for cyclists in Docklands An eye-catching bridge section of Melbourne's so-called cycling super-highway has finally opened in the city's west, and one of the first riders to use it described it as like "riding through a disco". Pierre Vairo, vice-president of cyclist advocacy group BikeWest, was also struck by the architectural beauty of the Footscray Road crossing during his first ride along it on Tuesday, as sunlight shone through the holes of its cocoon-like shell. The bright green elevated crossing in Docklands is part of more than 14 kilometres of new and upgraded bike paths funded through the $10.1 billion West Gate Tunnel project. The state government announced on Tuesday that the 220-metre cable-suspended bridge near the old Melbourne Star ferris wheel was now open to pedestrians and bike riders, connecting the Capital City and Moonee Ponds Creek cycling trails. However, construction of a 2.5-kilometre "veloway" (an express route for bike riders) between Footscray and Docklands remains ongoing, while a new bridge over Dynon Road, which has been dubbed the rainbow bridge thanks to its multicoloured panelling, remains closed. The tunnel project has disrupted western Melbourne's transport network for three years longer than planned, while the cost has blown out to almost double the initial $5.5 billion budget. In February, The Age reported that cyclists were stuck riding on dangerous truck-laden roads in Melbourne's inner west as key bridges remained blocked off. This is despite the government spruiking the bridges, as if they were complete, on social media. Geoff King, 83, was among the first to cycle across the Footscray Road bridge with the Banyule Bicycle User Group on Tuesday. "It was like riding through a disco," he said. "At the [traffic] lights [before the crossing was built], you had to wait quite a while, so it's an improvement on that." However, critics of the project, including the BikeWest group, have previously accused the government of "playing politics" by delaying opening infrastructure they say is vital for public safety. While Vairo enjoyed his cycle along the Footscray Road crossing, he said the section had always been one of the better parts of his ride into the city before the West Gate Tunnel construction. He said truck-filled suburban streets further west remained a big safety problem for cyclists. "It is a postcard for incredible photos, but it's not what we would have done," Vairo said of the new bridge. "Our advocacy now is: we've got this thing, let's create connections to it. So people from the suburbs - from Yarraville, West Footscray and further afield - can get to this bit of infrastructure safely." Vairo said he was more excited about the Dynon Road crossing opening soon, as it created a new corridor over rail lines. "That is a brand-new bit of infrastructure that gives people new ways to go to the city safely," he said. "That one's fantastic, very underrated." Vairo remained critical of the West Gate Tunnel's impact on cyclist safety in Melbourne west, and blames construction works for creating a dangerous Footscray Road intersection where 22-year-old cyclist Angus Collins died in February 2024. However, Ned Watson, a 41-year-old from Brunswick who was cycling with his child on Tuesday, said the new bridge had made his trip to a school holiday show safer. "It was pretty awesome," he said. "I think normally we'd have to go through all those traffic crossings down there [on Footscray Road]." Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the new bridge was "a big step towards transforming the corridor into an elevated cycling super-highway between the city and the west". Source: Green bike bridge's overdue opening a welcome sight for cyclists in Docklands By Lachlan Abbott | theage.com.au April 15, 2025