Cracks and holes are already forming on a Sunshine bike and walking path only months after it was installed.
Construction of the $4.8 million path between Sunshine railway station and Ashley Street started late last year. The new path is part of a shared-user path from the Western Ring Road to Tottenham station.
The construction is part of the Regional Rail Link project, which includes work on landscaping and a carpark at Ardeer train station.
Long-time Sunshine resident John Francis, who lives near the bike path, said he was concerned to discover cracks and holes in the concrete, including two holes that had bits of reinforcing mesh sticking out.
Mr Francis branded the work “ordinary” and said it could pose a hazard to users.
He said that, in contrast, Maribyrnong’s portion of the bike path was flawless. “I’m surprised at the condition it’s in, considering it’s relatively new,” Mr Francis said.
“Presumably, they’ve used different sub-contractors for different parts of the path and some have done a better job than others.”
Brimbank council infrastructure and environment director Paul Younis said path construction was still under way and, as a result, had yet to be inspected for quality.
“The works are not yet completed and construction is still in progress. The path element of the works is nearly complete and the landscaping works have commenced and will be completed over the winter period,” Mr Younis said.
“The practical completion inspection … will assess quality and any defects discovered will be rectified by the contractor.”
