The Hanwood Cycleway is edging closer to its completion date, with the final touches being put on the construction.
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The 4.4 kilometre cycleway - which runs along Kidman Way from opposite Bunnings to the Murphy Road intersection in Hanwood - has been worked on since April 2019, and Griffith City Councillor Dino Zappacosta has now said the finish line is within sight.
"We're in the final stages of the plan," Cr Zappacosta said.
"There has been some holdup with the Roads and Martime Services regarding the last extension to Murphy Road - regarding the crossover with Kidman Way.
"Kidman Way has always been envisioned as a commercial and industrial development area for Griffith ... the cycleway will be an additional attraction for business to set up [along the road]."
The cycleway currently extends south to just past Sangster Crescent, with the most recent major addition the implementation of a second bridge allowing travelers to cross the channel next to Beaumont Road.
Cr Zappacosta said the cycleway is planned to be completed towards the end of August, just "in time for the lovely spring weather" and the cycleway has been installed at a time where people were itching to leave the house for exercise which may not have been possible due to gym closures and sporting events stopping.
"It couldn't have come at a better time," Cr Zappacosta said.
"It's given people a safe place to walk ... [I've had] many people come in [to the store] and tell me it has been a joy to walk along there - the surface is unique to Griffith and children with little tricycles can ride with safety and comfort and it's away from traffic."
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For Cr Zappacosta, the completion of the cycleway will mark the next step forward in a vision for the city he has been working on with council since the mid-1990s - with plans in the early stages to extend a cycleway out towards Yoogali.
"The end goal is to have a facility everyone can use and try to cover the whole region," Cr Zappacosta said.
The total cost for the project is projected to be $1.375 million, with the majority of the funding coming from the state's Active Transport Program, which aims to fund projects focusing on encouraging people to walk or cycle.