Shared path completion creates major Lake Mac-Newcastle cycling link

Published on 16 February 2022

A landmark shared pathway from Speers Point to Glendale is now complete, filling in a missing link to create a continuous cycling route from Eleebana to the University of Newcastle and beyond.

The 4.6km path starts at Speers Point Park, running parallel to Cockle Creek before following Lake Road and heading behind homes in Argenton to skirt Waratah Golf Club.

Lake Macquarie City Council Infrastructure Assets Strategy Coordinator Simon Gulliver said the pathway continued to the end of Frederick Street in Glendale, linking with the existing Tramway Track to Wallsend.

The track creates an almost wholly off-road 18km route from Eleebana to the university, and a 14.3km route from Booragul to the university.

“That makes this a project of real significance, not just for recreational cyclists and walkers, but for commuters looking for a cheaper, healthier option than driving,” Mr Gulliver said.

“The mostly flat terrain, off-road pathway and scenery at the Speers Point end also make it a really enjoyable ride.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said the city was now home to more than 115km of off-road shared paths.

“This kind of infrastructure promotes healthy lifestyles, improves our environment by taking cars off the road and provides important links between suburbs,” she said.

“It is an important step in our region’s roll-out of sustainable commuter transport options.”

The $10.5 million total project cost included upgraded pedestrian crossings, new kerb and gutter in sections, construction of a 550m fence along the golf course and more than 15,000 new shrubs, trees and plants.

University of Newcastle Chief Operating Officer David Toll said encouraging people away from cars and towards alternative transport options was one of the university’s long-term sustainability goals.

“With recently completed cycleways in the Newcastle LGA, this creates a safe, realistic, and rapid way of getting from A to B for university students and staff based in Lake Macquarie,” Mr Toll said.

Valentine resident Alex Dare, an IT services manager at the university, is among the commuters who will use the new shared path to get to work.

The 22km ride now takes him less than an hour, door-to-door.

“You used to have to ride along Lake Road, and with not much of a hard shoulder, all the cars and a bit of a dodgy road surface, it was pretty dangerous,” Mr Dare said.

“So to be able to come along the back, away from the traffic is fantastic.”

Seating and drinking fountains have been installed at intervals for path users, along with interpretive signage.

Newcastle Cycleways Movement Vice President Peter Lee said filling in the gap between the Warners Bay-Speers Point shared path and the Tramway Track had been identified as a top priority by Council’s Cycling Advisory Group as far back as 2012.

“The long-held vision of Newcastle Cycleways Movement of linking these two projects has come to fruition,” he said.

“This is an essential link in the CycleSafe Network vision.”

The project’s completion coincides with the launch of a new online cycling map, providing an overview of cycling routes throughout Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, whether they are off-road or on-road and their level of difficulty.

Go to lakemac.com.au for more information.