Postby landscapecadmonkey » Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:06 pm
Ducked out to Nudgee Beach this afternoon from Wilston, joining the KBBP behind the Grange Library.
Wow...havent been on there for a little while, maybe 3-5 weeks, but what a difference. Still a work in progress... a little bit of side track cyclocross'ing at a few stages, but coming along in leaps and bounds..
Biggest differences are the nearly completed Gympie Rd and Sandgate Rd underpasses. No more goat tracks, multi bridge crossings and dodging trucks. The landscaping is a little over the top, and where the path splits and heads up to the road, is a little confusing (emphasis on little), but now just a straight run. A few other spots they have new paths laid, but the horror (over emphasised ) bone jarring section just west of Gympie Rd lives on, although im sure that is on the cards for replacement.
i simply dont remember the Sandgate Road underpass without the safety fencing, or the site sheds.......all gone, and now a straight run path along there, adjacent to some serious Kedron Brook water way works / rock lining etc.
These major road underpasses were the worst bits, and they are almost 90% complete, and once the new planting and turf strike, will come up pretty well.
But, the down side i found is that a large proportion of the new concrete paths could have been laid and finished significantly better as a cycle infrastructure than they have been. They arch longitudinally in the laid segments, and join in a pronounced v-section at the tool/control joints, which is weird given that the formwork would have been level throughout. Its ok if your doing 10klm, but at 20-25 not that flash an experience, considering they were paying the money for new paths anyway...seems a shame. But they are going down wider, so more room for the increased ped/cycle traffic. The next move should be a centre line i feel. A very simple and effective behavior modifier.
The Shaw Rd crossing has been jooshed, with mediocre results. What were considerable road, kerbing and planting works, have only really added a slightly larger mid-road bay. The rest is fluff. It doesnt necessarily announce a crossing any more than previously, as 99% of the treatment is on the ground plane..... which you dont notice at speed. Ive seen all amount of whacky plans proposed, but a good old fashion pedestrian crossing is still the most effective option.
So all in all, fairly significant advances in a short period of time, adding to what is a sensational route in the first place.
chop wood