The sealing of the first 16km section between the Penola Northern Bypass and Glenroy Bool-Lagoon Road of the Penola Coonawarra Rail Trail has begun.
The $2m rail trail was funded by the Federal, State and Wattle Range Council and is due to be completed in April.
People will soon be able to jump on their bikes or put their walking shoes on to use the trail, which will begin on the outskirts of Penola, follow the unused Wolseley to Mount Gambier rail corridor and end at Father Woods Park.
The trail will traverse through the Coonawarra’s renowned strip of terra rossa soil, wine cellars and vineyards and will bring people into the heart of the wine region, the home of the world’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon.
The first connecting footpath between Coonawarra Siding and the Coonawarra township is also under construction.
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower said the Coonawarra Rail Trail had been a long time coming.
“We have been working on this for a long, long time,” he said.
“It’s got significant tourism benefits, health benefits, economic benefits, it should stimulate all sorts of different, good things in the community.”
Mr Gower said there was a road reserve on the northern end of the rail trial corridor and the current plan had the Coonawarra rail trail running through this reserve to Father Woods Park.
“We are waiting for an engineering report to come back that will look at the safety of crossing the Riddoch Highway at that point,” he said.
“We are expecting that report to be available for council for decisions on whether to proceed with that plan or to modify the rail trail plan at the March council meeting.”
Mr Gower said the Coonawarra Rail Trail was part of a master plan of trails which run through the Limestone Coast.
“The entire region has been working collaboratively on that for decades and we’re hoping it will link into a master plan across the entire state,” he said.
“The Premier has a vision of connecting Adelaide and Melbourne by a series of cycling trails and walking trails, not dissimilar to the Heysen Trail.”
Mr Gower said the plan was to eventually link up with the Mount Gambier rail trail network.
