3 March 2012

Molonglo Reach bike path gone. How long for Morshead Drive?

| johnboy
Join the conversation
38
bike paths

Back in 2010 we were a little alarmed by the cracking of the bike path along Molonglo Reach.

Today Josh has sent in what the recent rains have wrought there.

Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

[Thanks for JC catching me up with the correct name of the road.]

Join the conversation

38
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Duffbowl said :

theoutsider said :

I’d have thought this path was on designated land and is the NCA’s responsibility?

From the images, I think this section of path in on the bend in the river, between the RMC entrance and Russell Offices. Well away from NCA’s area of responsibility?

But the whole of LBG and related paths etc. is the responsibility of the C’wth, I think?

http://www.nationalcapital.gov.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=248&Itemid=220

dungfungus said :

What is Petal Power’s official statement?

I don’t know, but I’m sure it smells nice.

dungfungus said :

What is Petal Power’s official statement?

I can have a guess what their position on this is! hahaha! But, it obviously hasn’t done them much good so far as it has been borderline there since the Dec 10 flood and the Govt have only been looking at bridge ‘options’….

Re: the NCA, the NCA boss said on 666 this am that it wasn’t their gig…

What is Petal Power’s official statement?

theoutsider said :

I’d have thought this path was on designated land and is the NCA’s responsibility?

From the images, I think this section of path in on the bend in the river, between the RMC entrance and Russell Offices. Well away from NCA’s area of responsibility?

Bramina said :

Why can’t they just put a wall there to prevent undermining?

It’s pretty hard to resist the “forces of nature”

Cutting down the feral willows may have had a hand in it but ultimately, if the meandering river bites into the bank, and it will, at flood time, then many an intervention may come to nought.

To protect Moreshead Drive (named after the Aust General at Tobruk, btw), a coffer dam would need to be built, then a new wall put in, to depth.

Not an engineer ……. , but many millions later, there may be a solution. Otherwise, maybe Fairburn Drive should be made 4 lanes??

grump said :

perhaps if the gubment had addressed this when it happened instead of leaving it this would not be happening – another local stuffup

I’d have thought this path was on designated land and is the NCA’s responsibility?

dungfungus said :

We are talking about a bike path used exclusively by non-fee paying cyclists.

The bike path is a fairly recent addition. For decades, there was a pale-orange gravel walk down there. For people and horses and things, and the odd bike even.

devils_advocate said :

dungfungus said :

KB1971 said :

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

Well trolled sir, now go & have anogther chicko roll and a dim sim to congratulate yourself with.

What gives you the idea I eat Chicko Rolls and dim sims?

It is the food of choice for trolls. Easy to eat while crouched under a bridge.

GOLD!!!!!

devils_advocate10:42 am 05 Mar 12

dungfungus said :

KB1971 said :

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

Well trolled sir, now go & have anogther chicko roll and a dim sim to congratulate yourself with.

What gives you the idea I eat Chicko Rolls and dim sims?

It is the food of choice for trolls. Easy to eat while crouched under a bridge.

dungfungus said :

dpm said :

johnboy said :

why is it that spite and ignorance go hand in hand?

Nah, i’m sure it’s just cabin fever from all this rain that is making people extra-uptight! I’m sure DF is really a nice person who is tolerant of all the different kinds of people in the world (who may live their lives differently) – and not just those who subscribe to his newsletter! Hahaha! 🙂

Are you referring specifically to the people who went to the Mardi Gras? I don’t have a newsletter either.

Nah, I was just talking about anyone who doesn’t live life exactly the way you think it should be lived.e.g. those who ride a bike, ride a motorbike, own a cat/own a dog, fly a kite, like the cold/like the hot, like the milk in their tea….! The list is endless but i’m sure you frown upon any view that doesn’t meet with yours? Hahahaha!

BTW, I love how you’ve brought out the age-old ‘paying for services’ argument (#24). First bike riders are bagged for riding on the roads (they didn’t pay for?), then they are bagged for wanting to ride on the path (that they didn’t pay for?). Hahahaha! Gold! 🙂 You’re really confusing the hell out of people now!

KB1971 said :

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

Well trolled sir, now go & have anogther chicko roll and a dim sim to congratulate yourself with.

What gives you the idea I eat Chicko Rolls and dim sims?

dpm said :

johnboy said :

why is it that spite and ignorance go hand in hand?

Nah, i’m sure it’s just cabin fever from all this rain that is making people extra-uptight! I’m sure DF is really a nice person who is tolerant of all the different kinds of people in the world (who may live their lives differently) – and not just those who subscribe to his newsletter! Hahaha! 🙂

Are you referring specifically to the people who went to the Mardi Gras? I don’t have a newsletter either.

jase! said :

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

can i get a refund on the Car and Motorbike rego on the days i ride my bike then? kthxbi

Have you asked the RTA that question?

Felix the Cat said :

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

How about no. It’s a govt resposibilty to fix it, that’s what my taxes are for. Do you get out and fix potholes in the road? Didn’t think so.

We are talking about a bike path used exclusively by non-fee paying cyclists.

Russ said :

grump said :

perhaps if the gubment had addressed this when it happened instead of leaving it this would not be happening – another local stuffup

Exactly – it would have cost a bit to fix initially, but nothing compared to what will have to be done now, and in a hurry if they don’t want to risk half of the road above collapsing after it.

I am not so sure, the plan I heard about was to build a bridge over that bit using the old footbridge from Belco but there was no mention about actually renovating the area to stop futher slides. If they had just built the bridge then it would have just fallen away too & it would have been money wasted.

Maybe they knew it was too unstable & that is why they had not started work yet. The slide on Brown Mountian seems to be one of those moments, the section has been marked for a while & the bit that fell away was exactly between the markers. Plans were afoot but they may have gone awry once the magnatude of the situation had become aparrent.

Bramina said :

Why can’t they just put a wall there to prevent undermining?

There was a lower wall there – the bike path was at the top of it. Half of it collapsed in last year’s rain, they didn’t fix it and now the remains have collapsed as well.

Now there’s pretty much nothing solid to build a wall on. They can either drive in piers, or place boulders or some other solution, all of which is going to be incredibly expensive.

I’ve send Johnboy pics showing more of the damage – there’s a comms conduit running through there that’s now hanging in space – it looks like they considered supporting it with a bit of parra rope hanging down from above, but probably decided it was too risky to climb down and tie it to the conduit. (At a guess the conduit goes to the mobile phone tower in the middle of the roundabout nearby.)

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

Well trolled sir, now go & have anogther chicko roll and a dim sim to congratulate yourself with.

Why can’t they just put a wall there to prevent undermining?

kakosi said :

That’s gonna need more than picks, shovels and wheelbarrows 😀

Yeah, I forgot to mention the sunscreen, handcream and bottled water.

That’s gonna need more than picks, shovels and wheelbarrows 😀

OpenYourMind1:03 pm 04 Mar 12

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

I’m pretty sure that if we did turn up to fix this section, we’d soon be stopped. There would be no end of liability issues with such a silly suggestion. You might be surprised to find that us many of us lycra clad pedallers are quite environementally conscious and get involved in things like landcare, greening Australia etc. Also lots of keen mountain bikers spend weekends with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows helping to maintain MTB single track.

johnboy said :

why is it that spite and ignorance go hand in hand?

Nah, i’m sure it’s just cabin fever from all this rain that is making people extra-uptight! I’m sure DF is really a nice person who is tolerant of all the different kinds of people in the world (who may live their lives differently) – and not just those who subscribe to his newsletter! Hahaha! 🙂

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

can i get a refund on the Car and Motorbike rego on the days i ride my bike then? kthxbi

Felix the Cat12:29 pm 04 Mar 12

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

How about no. It’s a govt resposibilty to fix it, that’s what my taxes are for. Do you get out and fix potholes in the road? Didn’t think so.

dungfungus said :

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

I’ll drive rather than ride in to work, and make traffic worse for you until they fix it

Instead of whinging, all you non-road fee paying pedallers should organize a working bee and fix it yourselves. Swap your lycra pixie suits for some working gear, dedicate a weekend and turn up with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows.

why is it that spite and ignorance go hand in hand?

patrick_keogh8:26 am 04 Mar 12

keepitup said :

There goes my weekly Ride Around The Lake.

Nah, just needs a ramp.

There goes my weekly Ride Around The Lake.

grump said :

perhaps if the gubment had addressed this when it happened instead of leaving it this would not be happening – another local stuffup

Exactly – it would have cost a bit to fix initially, but nothing compared to what will have to be done now, and in a hurry if they don’t want to risk half of the road above collapsing after it.

Hmm, I used to sneak around the closure signs and ride through that area anyway (as did everyone else)… don’t think I’ll be doing that now! Not enough ramp for a jump 😉

perhaps if the gubment had addressed this when it happened instead of leaving it this would not be happening – another local stuffup

If Russell drive goes I would be a little bit worried, as for that to go several buildings and carparks at Russell Offices would also have to go. I assume however the road you are talking about is Morshead Drive.

AsparagusSyndrome5:23 pm 03 Mar 12

“El Bike Path de la Muerte” … http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yungas_Road

Did you Snap-Send-Solve, just to make sure urban services gets the message (assuming none from that department read TRA)?

Doesn’t look like a problem that can’t be fixed with a few tonnes of concrete 🙂

It’s a bit of a worry. I had a good look at it this morning – already the rock wall supporting the four lane road above to the right has been undercut by the collapsed pathway. If the river rises again in the next day, eg: from Googong Dam’s overflow, there is going to be a real danger of the water scooping out more dirt and undermining the wall further. Don’t be surprised if the road (Morshead Drive actually) gets closed soon. Westbound lanes at least are looking shaky.

Good thing they never fixed it in the first place.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.