Parents of Amy Gillett welcome expansion of popular Hills bikeway as a wonderful legacy of her life
The Amy Gillett bikeway is set to be expanded to Mount Torrens, after the local council received $2.6 million in federal funding.
Adelaide Hills
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Cyclists will soon have safer way to commute between Mount Torrens and Birdwood with the popular Amy Gillett Bikeway to be expanded by an additional 7km.
The Adelaide Hills Council has received $2.6 million of federal funding for the completion of stage four, more than four years in the making.
Deputy Mayor Nathan Daniell said completion of the bikeway was an important step towards
recovery in the region.
It would will also support the wider strategic vision for cycling in the Hills.
“Council and the community have long advocated for the completion of the Amy Gillett with
this project providing another important way for our towns and community to reconnect
after the Cudlee Creek Bushfire and COVID-19,” he said.
“Completion of the Amy Gillett bikeway also supports the region’s wider strategic interest in
cycling, including securing funding for the Adelaide Wine Capital Cycle Trail, supporting The
Santos Tour Down Under and development of mountain biking and other cycling trails.”
Named in honour of cyclist Amy Gillett, who was tragically killed in 2005 during a training ride with the Australian women’s cycling team, the shared-user bikeway currently consists of four stages.
Stage one spans between Oakbank and Woodside and was built by the State Government in 2010 on an abandoned rail corridor.
Stage two and three continue on to Charleston and Mount Torrens – both of which were completed by 2014.
Since then, the remainder of the planned bikeway – which includes the final stage to Mount Pleasant – has stalled, after no further funding was allocated by the State Government.
Amy’s parents and founding members of the Amy Gillett Foundation, Mary and Denis Safe, said the latest expansion had been a long time coming.
“As Amy’s parents we are very excited that Stage 4 of the Amy Gillett Bikeway will go ahead,” Ms Safe said.
“This safe and completely off-road bikeway is a wonderful SA legacy of Amy’s life and it provides so much pleasure to so many who live in or visit the Adelaide Hills.”