Dunure Road Underpass
Work has begun to reopen (actually replace) the railway tunnel under Dunure Road to join the paths on either side and eliminate the current unsafe road crossing.
The Culzean Way could officially start at Ayr harbour/town centre or Alloway. These paths are already completed up to Dunure Road at the underpass site - further development of The Culzean Way would take place between this point and Girvan.
The current crossing has poor visibility for drivers as they approach over a blind summit. Drivers tend to accelerate as they leave the built up area, perhaps not aware of the crossing over the summit. That's putting it politely.
The other approach has 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 on bikes and those with limited mobility.
The Alloway/Burton path exit is on to a side road with a blind bend as shown above. The road access has since been blocked - drivers now access further along the road.
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 making path users aware of the proposed underpass and encouraging then 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 the fact is virtually all the cost is met by external organisations like Sustrans and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) who have funds ring fenced for active travel projects.
This is a complex project, but work has already begun to clear the site, install drainage and divert utilities.
Tree felling and vegetation clearance is rarely a pretty sight, but nature soon takes over.
ARA continue to manage the project, but some things are outside their control e.g. long lead times by utility companies. The coronavirus pandemic hasn't helped.
ARA have acquired all the necessary funding, so hopefully construction isn't too far away and we can all look forward to a safe all abilities link between the cycle paths.