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The old railway tunnel under Dunure Road was reopened (actually rebuilt) in 2023 to join the paths on either side and replace the original unsafe road crossing.
This was a major project managed by Ayrshire Roads Alliance. The photo shows the new active travel path leading to the tunnel with Dunure Road overhead keeping walkers and cyclists completely segregated from motorised vehicles.
At the same time a new sensory garden was constructed with picnic benches and other seating.
The old crossing had poor visibility for drivers as they approached over a blind summit. Drivers tend to accelerate as they leave the residential area onto a rural road, perhaps not aware of the crossing over the summit.
The other approach had limited visibility due to a bend in the road. This road can get busy with day trippers and visitors accessing the many holiday parks. The crossing is particularly difficult for families with young children, sometimes on bikes, and those with limited mobility.
South Ayrshire Paths Initiative held a public awareness campaign to support the case for reopening the underpass.
We are indebted to...
Councillor Siobhian Brown who worked tirelessly to gain support for this project within South Ayrshire Council,
Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) who managed the project from conception and successfully obtained grants from walking and cycling organisations to fund planning and construction,
Alloway and Doonfoot Community Council for their support and having the underpass as a regular item on their agenda.
Police Scotland who supported the tunnel as the only safe option at this particular location,
And the many members of the public who wrote to councillors and turned up at public meetings to voice their support.
SAPI members made path users and local residents aware of the proposed underpass and encouraged them to write to their councillors to support the project. The council approved construction of the underpass in Dec 2018.
Some people were concerned about the cost of the underpass on stretched council funds, but almost all the cost was met by external organisations like Sustrans and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) who have funds ring fenced for active travel projects.
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