Bike path under Barwon Heads Rd regularly floods, says frustrated rider

Cyclists have been left disappointed by a bike path that connects the CBD to Grovedale after finding it regularly underwater.

A shared path underneath Barwon Heads Rd, alongside Waurn Ponds Creek, floods after rain in Geelong.

A new shared walking and cycling path under Barwon Heads Rd is flooding every time it rains in Geelong.

On Monday, the Bureau of Meteorology recorded 10.4mm of rain in Geelong and it was enough to cover a significant portion of the path where it goes under the road.

The section of the path that flooded is alongside Waurn Ponds Creek.

Bike Geelong advocacy group founder Ashley Goldstraw said he was riding his bike on Monday when he encountered the flooding.

“I have seen it flooded before, every time it rains and it doesn’t need to be much for it to flood,” he said.

“There’s always people walking and riding down there as it connects the Geelong CBD to Grovedale and the Surf Coast Highway.”

The shared path was built as part of the first stage of the Barwon Heads Rd upgrade, which was completed in mid-July 2023.

The project included about 4km of extra lanes between Belmont and Charlemont, intersection upgrades, 4km of new shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as the removal of a level crossing and its replacement with a bridge over Marshall’s rail line.

An updated design of plans for the second stage of the project is expected to be presented to the community soon, with major construction expected to begin from late 2025.

Mr Goldstraw said it was disappointing to see the path flood when $365m was spent on the overall project.

“The main issue is the state and federal governments spent $365m on the road duplication and they put in a path that floods with a shower of rain,” he said.

“It’s not that deep but they spent so much money and the path can be unusable at times.

”We tentatively rode through it, there was one couple with a pram who couldn’t get through and a man who was with his dog and wearing boots but he got very wet.”

As an advocacy group, Bike Geelong is also focusing on connection and safety for cyclists across the city.

Mr Goldstraw said the main thing the group was pushing for was a connection between the Southern Bike Link from Gheringhap St through to Malop St.

”The bike lane just suddenly ends at Little Malop St so we need ten carparks removed from that section or another safe path put through there because at the moment you’re riding along and dumped onto a busy road and mixing with cars,” he said.

Originally published as Bike path under Barwon Heads Rd regularly floods, says frustrated rider