Rutherglen Loops

Friday 20 December

We're pleased to announce that the Rutherglen Loops trail is now ready to ride and walk, with just minor finishing touches to be completed.

We'd like to say thank you to the Rutherglen and Wahgunyah communities for their patience during the construction period.

Friday 13 December

Works to complete the remaining sections continued this week.

Construction of the connection to Anderson Winery is progressing well, while the Tuilieries Crossing on Main Street now has a path, the median island has been poured, and minor lighting upgrades have been completed.

Works on the Howlong Road Crossing are set to be completed next week, and the majority of wayfinding and hub signs have now been installed.

Friday 6 December

Another two sections of the trail are now open for trail users.

The trail along Distillery Road connecting Cofield’s and Pfieffers Winery, and the connection from All Saints Estate to the existing Tommy McRae Track were sealed yesterday and are now mostly complete with just minor works to be carried out next week.

Works also continued to progress construction of the two concrete sections in Rutherglen, while further signage installations will commence next week.

Friday 29 November update

Despite the wet weather, we're continuing to make construction progress with a number of sections now nearing completion.

The trail connecting All Saints Estate to the existing Tommy McRae trail was excavated last week, and the path pavement is now under construction. 

On the Howlong Road Crossing (near Jones Road), drainage and kerb works are underway.

Drainage and pavement works continue along Distillery Road, while the installation of wayfinding signage for the Andersons Winery and Tuileries connections has begun.

Friday 15 November update

Construction is continuing to progress well and we’re striving to have all works completed before Christmas.

Consequently, works on the following sections will commence in the coming weeks:

1. The remaining shared path connection and crossing adjacent Tuileries at De Bortoli 
2. A path connection to Jones Road across Howlong Road (Murray Valley Highway) 
3. The connection to Andersons Winery (connecting to the new Jones Road trail) 
4. The connection to All Saints Estate (connecting to the existing Tommy McRae Trail along the Murray River) 
5. An on-road connection from Rutherglen to Scion 
6. Wayfinding signage for the entire Rutherglen Loops Trail network

Please be aware that during this time there may be minor delays to traffic and ensure you follow any worksite signage for your safety as well as that of our construction team.

In other areas, works continue to progress along Jones Road, with construction of a ~1.2km sealed trail connecting Jones Winery & Vineyard to the Murray Valley Highway (Howlong Road). The path pavement is now constructed, with sealing and completion expected in the coming weeks.

Works have also commenced along Distillery Road connecting Cofield Wines and Pfeiffer Wines. The ~1.6km of sealed trail will provide an off-road trail option for cyclists and pedestrians alike while connecting existing trails through Wahgunyah to trails through Lake Moodemere.

Friday 1 November update

The trail is continuing to take shape, with earthworks now underway along Distillery Road and the path pavement constructed along Jones Road.

Construction of the remaining sections, which include the shared path connection from Drummond Street to Main Street West adjacent Tuileries; connection of the Jones Road trail to the existing path on Lord Street; connection to All Saints Estate and connection to Andersons Winery, will commence in November.

Friday 20 September Update

The favourable weather this week has allowed further progress to be made on the Rutherglen Loops, with sealing of the Murray Valley Highway section now underway and line marking along Barkly Street complete.

Works continue along Jones Road.

We're continuing to make construction progress on various stages of this project, as the weather allows.

Completion works along the Murray Valley Highway are now underway and sealing works are scheduled to begin next week.

Along Jones Road, we’ve commenced drainage and pavement preparation, and along Barkly Street, line marking is scheduled for next week. 

Sealing works on the Barkly Street section are now complete and the finishing touches, including handrails and line marking, will be completed in the coming weeks.

Pathway construction along the Murray Valley Highway is continuing and we’ve completed drainage works on Graham Lane to prepare for the on-road section of the trail.

We’re also in the process of evaluating five recently closed tenders and will be looking to award these as soon as possible to allow works to commence.

July 19 Update

Construction continues to progress with the Jacks Road/Main Street West section now sealed and weather permitting, Barkly Street will be sealed next week.

Works have also progressed along the Murray Valley Highway, with subgrade preparation forthe pathalignment underway and a number of culvert crossingsinstalled.

Repairs to some flood damaged sections of the existing Wahgunyah trail network will also commence next week.

July 4 Update

Construction is continuing to progress well with the concrete path on Barkly Street, near the High Street roundabout, now poured.

Weather permitting, this section of the trail will be sealed next week with line marking, delineators and completion works to follow.

Along Jacks Road/Main Street West, the path has been sealed and works along the Murray Valley Highway will commence next week.

At its June Council meeting,Council awarded the tender for the construction of Distillery Road section to Excell Gray Bruni, worth $423,500.

This next section will connect Cofields Wines, Dinah Wines and Pfeiffer Wines via a two-metre wide sealed river-gravel pedestrian and cycling shared trail along Distillery Road.

The section of trail along Jones Road has also been recently tendered, with submissions currently being evaluated and contract award anticipated in the coming weeks. These works will connect Jones Winery andVineyard to Howlong Road.

Friday 21 June update

Works on multiple sections of the trail continue to progress well.

Weather permitting, the path pavement along Jacks Road will be completed this week which will allow works to move to the trail section along Main Street West next week.

The concrete works on Barkly Street near the High Street roundabout will be completed next week, while works along the Murray Valley Highway are expected to commence in mid-July following the finalisation of the required commencement approvals.

Friday 7 June update

Construction continued this week, with a number of sections beginning to take shape.

Along Jacks Road, we’ve progressed drainage and pavement preparation while on Barkly Street, the path base is almost complete.

Preliminary works along the Murray Valley Highway have also begun, with native vegetation protection being established along the path's alignment.

Please be aware of the changed conditions and adhere to all safety signage.

Two sections of the Rutherglen Loops are now under construction, with works along Barkly Street, Main Street West and Jacks Road underway.

Weather permitting, we'll begin constructing the new pavement along Barkly Street next week, with this section to be on a widened shoulder with delineators to separate road and trail users.

Once finished, these works will complete the "Town Loop" and connect the existing Murray to Mountains Trail to Chambers Rosewood Vineyard. 

The Main Street West and Jacks Road section will be an off-road sealed trail and will connect trail users from Rutherglen to Andrew Buller Wines, Stanton & Killeen Wines and Campbells Winery.

Please be aware of the changed traffic conditions while works are underway.

Works to expand the footpath network throughout Rutherglen have been completed with ~1.2km of new concrete shared path constructed along Lord Street, Murray Street and Drummond Street. These works also saw ~250m of existing path widened along Murray Street.

Works commencing soon

1. The 1.3km on-shoulder trail along Barkly Street connecting Chambers Rosewood Vineyard to the Murray to Mountain Trail and the existing trail along Hopetoun Road.
2. The ~1.7km off-road sealed trail along Jacks Road and Main Street West
3. The ~4km off-road sealed trail along the Murray Valley Highway

Creating The Rutherglen Loops – “Town Loop”

Once completed, the Barkly Street section will complete construction of the “Town Loop”.

This loop will be approximately 4km and be made up of four legs:

1. The existing Murray to Mountain Trail between the Silos and Barkly Street
2. The newly constructed shared path down Lord Street
3. The existing sealed trail past the Wine Bottle along Hopetoun Road
4. A new on-shoulder trail along Barkly Street (construction commencing soon)

This loop will provide nearby access to the following wineries:

• Chambers Rosewood Vineyards via the Barkly Street trail (construction commencing soon)
• Jones Winery via a new off-road trail along Jones Road (currently in design stage)
• Anderson Winery via a new off-road trail along Jones + Chiltern Rutherglen Roads (design stage)
• Tuileries at De Bortoli via the newly constructed shared path along Murray + Drummond Streets
• Scion Wine via an on-road trail along High Street and Slaughterhouse Road (design stage)

The Town Loop is indicated below in yellow.

Construction of this project's shared pathways took another step closer to completion this week.

Works along Lord Street, Murray Street and Drummond Street are now mostly complete, with just some minor tidy up and finishing touches to be completed in the coming weeks. Directional signage will cover the entire Rutherglen Loops network and is yet to be completed. 

Design and planning approvals continue to progress for the remaining sections of the wider project.

Construction of a number of shared pathways as part of this project is progressing well.

The widened section of the existing footpath along Murray Street is now concreted (with some minor works to tidy up to be completed in the coming days). 

Following this, works will then progress towards Drummond Street where a new shared path will connect the existing path to Main Street.

These works, including a crossing connection near High Street, are expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

Construction of the concrete shared path along Lord Street has commenced, with almost 400m of path now poured. Weather permitting, this section should be completed by mid-December connecting the existing bike trail along Hopetoun Road to the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail.

This connection, along with a newly constructed cycle trail along Barkly Street (to be constructed early next year) will connect an approximately 4km trail loop taking cyclists and pedestrians from the Silos up and along Barkly Street, back down Hopetoun Road past the Wine Bottle and back into town via Lord Street.

Behind the scenes, authority approvals continue to progress. 

Next steps

• Commence construction of remaining contracted works (pending authority approvals)
• Notification with property owners adjacent the trail sections yet to commence construction
• Continue detailed design and tender

Project Update October 2023

Current Works

Council recently awarded three construction tenders to contractors to undertake the following stages;

1. Murray Valley Highway Works & Crossings -4km of new off-road sealed trail along the tree line on the south side of the Murray Valley Highway between Campbelkls Wines and Lake Moodemere Estate.
2. Main street West & Jacks Road -1.7km of new off road sealed trail along Jacks Road and Main Street West.  The trail along the Eastern Side of Jacks Road will now connect Andrew Buller Wines and Stanton & Killeen Wines to the Murray Valley Highway trail section.
3. Rutherglen Shared Path - 1.3km of concrete shared path and widening of 300m of existing footpath.

Next steps

Over coming months Council's project Manager will

• notifying property owners adjacent the trail sections when works are programmed
• Continue authority approval process, detailed design and tender remaining works 
• Commence construction of works

Construction of the highly anticipated Rutherglen Loops Project will soon get underway with Council awarding two significant contracts valued at more than $1.66M.

O’Loughlin Excavations will construct the section of trail along the Murray Valley Highway road reserve, connecting Lake Moodemere Estate, Buller Wines, and Campbells Wines via a two-metre wide sealed shared trail. To ensure the safety of trail users, the design incorporates three secure crossing locations across the Murray Valley Highway and Federation Way.

The second contract, awarded to ATD Civil, is to expand and connect the existing footpath network

along Drummond Street, Murray Street and Lord Street in Rutherglen to allow cyclists and pedestrians to safely travel throughout the town. The works will also include a safe crossing point on the Murray Valley Highway near Tuileries.

Previously referred to as the Rutherglen Wine Walk Cycle Trail, this transformative project will breathe new life into the region's tourism and outdoor experiences.

Fully funded by a federal government grant of $5.1M, the project will promote walking and cycling tourism throughout the area while establishing a vital link between the existing Murray to Mountains Rail Trail and several renowned wineries and cellar doors.

Deputy Mayor, Bernard Gaffney says this significant investment will play a pivotal role in transforming the region into a premier destination for outdoor enthusiasts, showcasing the beauty of our environment, and fostering a deeper connection within our community.

“In addition to the recreational benefits, the Rutherglen Loops project will celebrate the region's culinary and viticultural strengths by facilitating easy access to nearby wineries through a 48km trail network suitable for pedestrians and cyclists of all skill levels,” he says.

Authority approvals are still being processed in conjunction with the considerations of these awarded contracts. Commencement of construction will be subject to the appropriate approvals being obtained.

There is also a third contract of works, that does not require councillor decision, that is expected to be awarded shortly. This package will include a two metre wide sealed shared trail along Jacks Road and Main Street West. These two sections of sealed trail will be connected by an on-road trail along Graham Lane. Environmental and engineering assessment have determined that an on-road trail is appropriate along Graham Lane to minimise environmental impact. 

Read more about this project

Three construction tender packages have been released this week with the intention of engaging multiple contractors to complete sections of the trail concurrently. The tendered works include:

• construction of concrete shared paths within Rutherglen to expand and connect the existing footpath network
• construction of an off-road sealed cycle trail in the road reserves of Murray Valley Highway, Main Street West and Jacks Road

Consultation with stakeholders and approval authorities continue to progress, with these allowing for the path alignment to be finalised.

We're making steady progress with the necessary preconstruction activities. The detailed design work has progressed, with a real focus on ensuring the retention of as much native vegetation as possible, and limiting the need for costly earthworks.   

Increased activity may be noticed in the area in the next few weeks, as consultants and contractors working on detailed assessments for cultural heritage, flora and fauna, and traffic impacts move around the proposed trail corridors.  The information they are collecting is necessary to ensure that we are limiting impacts from the project, and to provide safe road crossing arrangements for the trail.

Consultation with stakeholders and approval authorities continue to progress, with these allowing for the path alignment to be finalised and approved.

We’ve appointed Red-gum Environmental Consulting to undertake the project’s cultural heritage and flora/fauna impact assessments. These assessments are expected to commence over the coming weeks and will help inform the trail construction, particularly for the sections surrounding Lake Moodemere.

A works package for the re-sealing of the existing trails is currently being finalised, with the tender expected to be released by the end of the month. Weather permitting, these re-sealing works are expected to be completed in the coming months.

Stakeholder engagement is currently in its final stages. 

The project is currently in the design development phase with concept designs being prepared for initial review by Council and key stakeholders. Once this phase has been completed, designs will be prepared for more detailed discussion with community representatives and affected landowners.

Specialist studies and investigations are soon to commence and initial contact has been made with the approval agencies.

Description: Updated signage to existing sealed trail from Wine and Visitor Experience Centre to Wahgunyah

Distance: 8.5km along the alignment of the existing Springs-Wahgunyah rail trail.

Description: Updated signage and completed repairs to existing sealed trail (as required) from Wahgunyah to Federation Bridge.

Distance: 3.3km

Description: Off-road sealed trail from Tommy McRae Track to All Saints Winery

Distance: 1.2km 

Description: Updated signage to existing sealed trail/concrete footpaths linking the existing Tommy McRae Track to the trails downstream of Willows Reserve

Distance: 700m

Description: Updated signage and completed repairs to existing sealed trails downstream of the Willows Reserve through to Hynes Road.

Distance: 6.3km

Description: On-road unsealed trail from the river loop to Cofield Wines via Kilborn Road Reserve

Distance: 700m

Description: Updated signage to existing trail/tracks downstream of the Lake Moodemere Reserve

Distance: 1.3km

Description: Off-road sealed trail along Distillery Road between Cofields Wines and Pfeiffer Wines

Distance: 1.5km

Description: On-road unsealed trail South from Pfeiffer Wines along Anderson Road and joining into McDonald Road

Distance: 3km

Description: Updated signage to existing tracks around Lake Moodemere

Distance: 4.7km

Description: Off-road sealed trail from McDonald Road and Lake Moodemere Estate, along the Murray Valley Highway, meandering through the existing tree line connecting to Buller and Campbells Wines.

Distance: 4km

Description: Off-road sealed trail from Campbells Wines to Andrew Buller Wines on Jacks Road

Distance: 1.5km

Description: Off-road sealed trail returning to Rutherglen via Main St West past De Bortoli Wines, including an on-road trail along Graham Lane between Jacks Road and Killeens Road.

Distance: 2.3km

Description: On-shoulder sealed trail extending the trail from the Murray to Mountains Rail Trail to Chambers Rosewood along Barkly Street

Distance: 1.3km

Description: This is trail is existing and takes pedestrians and cyclists along Hopetown Road from Barkly Street to the Murray Valley Highway, past the Wine Bottle.

Distance: 1.3km

Description: Expansion of the existing footpath network through Rutherglen from Murray Street to Lord Street.

Distance: 2.2km

Description: On-road trail (unsealed road) from existing rail trail to Wicked Virgin Wines

Distance: 600m

Description: Off-road sealed trail connecting Anderson Wines and Jones Wines via Jones Road

Distance: 2km

Description: On-road sealed trail from Rutherglen to Scion (via High Street and Slaughterhouse Road)

Distance: 1.7km