The new bridge over the Darebin Creek at Dundas-Banksia Street is open and riders are already acclaiming it.
Wide, smoother and with new approaches the bridge should well-serve the Darebin Trail route for many years.
A joint venture of Darebin and Banyule municipalities, the project took more than four months.
The bridge is part of the Darebin Creek Trail which is an important transport route for both casual and commuter cyclists and also a popular path for walkers and joggers.
The new bridge has a wider deck of 4m, more durable materials, and barriers and handrails complying with current standards.
The alignment of the new bridge matches that of the existing bridge to avoid a Melbourne Water Sewer and minimise the impact on native vegetation.
Having such a great new bridge unfortunately highlights the sorry state of the older, nearby facilities.
However, the facility will be crucial to future upgrades of the strategic cycling corridor network, both north-south and east-west, that will come along in future years.