Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail

While the Axedale cycle tunnel nears completion, work has just been completed on the first section of trail to the east of the Campaspe River bridge.

The new trail section connects the bridge to Ingham Road (old McIvor Highway). From there the trail will follow Ingham Road up to Browne Lane. Council’s contractor completed the new section in the last week of January. The council has done some patch resealing work on the damaged asphalt sections of the trail on Inghams Rd, so trail users can now use the new trail section from the bridge to the eastern end of Inghams Rd.

Zoom in on this map and you’ll see Ingham Road and the route of the new section.

The trail contractor is expected to begin the next section of trail construction towards Browne Lane this month.

After a long weekend of work, there is now a tunnel under the McIvor Highway. When it’s open to pedestrians and cyclists (very soon) you’ll be able to take the trail down along the river reserve and under the highway to the new bridge over the river.

Sunday morning saw the pre-formed concrete tunnel put in place in the hole dug out the day before.

By Sunday afternoon, the road base was back in place.

Re-sealing works are taking place over the next couple of weeks.

Getting to Knowsley Forest

From February you’ll be able to get under the McIvor Highway and over the Campaspe River. That’s when plans start for the next section of trail that will take you the eastern boundary of the Knowsley Forest. Stay tuned for announcements.

Lake Eppalock-Mt Ida Creek crossing

This will be the iconic part of this trail running down the old railway alignment right at the lake’s edge. Building of this section of trail must wait for the water level of the lake to lower (as it does naturally in summer).  Once it’s low enough large machinery can enter the area and the planned trail alignment. Best estimates (unless it’s going to be particularly wet summer!) is that work will start in March or April 2014.

The route will follow the original railway alignment across the lake, but Lake Eppalock didn’t exist when the railway was built. The height of the new trail will need to be raised with about 90,000 m3 of earth fill to keep it above the high water level. When it’s complete there’ll be a causeway across the lake with a 90 m long bridge over the Mt Ida Creek in the middle.

The Avenue: the causeway across Lake Eppalock will be an iconic section of the new trail.

One Eye Forest

Concerns raised by some Heathcote residents mid-year have resulted in a full review of the planned trail project section in the One Eye Forest, from Mia Mia-Derrinal Road to Speed Street in Heathcote. A meeting of key stakeholders will be held on Tuesday 11 February who will be briefed on the council report. A final report is then expected to go to a council meeting (possibly in March) for a resolution.

Upgrading maintenance on the existing trail

Council is currently prioritising the list of maintenance requirements on the existing Bendigo-Axedlae section of the trail. Those deemed highest priority will see some work done in the first quarter of 2014.

The gap between Axedale river reserve (where the rail trail currently ends) and the pedestrian bridge over the Campaspe on the other side of the highway is currently closed while a tunnel is constructed under the road.

Preparation work started on 6 January 2014 and over the weekend Saturday 11 January and Sunday 12 January the highway is closed. This will allow the pre-formed concrete underpass to be put in place. The remainder of the work – resealing the road, concreting ramps and so on will be done during the following week.

Advisory signs in the area give alternative routes for various vehicles. See also the City of Greater Bendigo’s public notice about the closure.

In late February the tender to construct a new trail pedestrian/bike/horse bridge over the Campaspe River at Axedale was awarded. The bridge-only construction work is expected to be completed in about five weeks, assuming various permits and approvals are provided on time.

The ‘T’ beam concrete bridge will be constructed with railings that will ‘fold’ down in event of a major flood. A design common for water crossings that are at risk of inundation, it reduces the bridge’s resistance to possible flood waters. When all’s clear following a flood, the hand rails are reinstated with new sheer pins.

Once upon a time the railway line ran between the through what is now the Axedale golf course, over the Campaspe River and across the river flats on the other side. (You can still see many of the original timber piles of the former 2000 ft long timber bridge marching away over the paddock on private farm land.)
The trail can’t follow the original route of the railway line on the east side of the Campaspe River as there’s now the operating Axedale Quarry in the way. Instead, the current section of the rail trail takes you into the heart of Axedale (past new public toilets under construction for a little relief). Stop at the Axedale General Store for supplies or the Axedale Tavern for lunch, before heading along the sealed section of the new trail down to the river reserve.

Each new bridge on this trail is more exciting than the last, so we’ll definitely be shouting the news when this one, which will be the trail’s largest, is open.