In the summer of 2004, 56-year-old Inco Ltd. employee Robert Dubnewych died while travelling to work after his bicycle was struck by a truck on Municipal Road 55 near Lively.
After the man’s death, friend and co-worker Colin Flett decided to do something to make cycling on the road safer.
Flett rides his bicycle on Municipal Road 55 from Sudbury to Copper Cliff every day, and says his commute is extremely dangerous. Cars are allowed to go up to 80 km/h along the four-lane stretch of road.
He began pushing to have a bicycle path installed in the tailings between Balsam St. in Copper Cliff and Kelly Lake Rd. in Sudbury. Thanks to a partnership between Inco, the City of Greater Sudbury, Day Construction and Rainbow Routes, Flett’s dream will soon come true.
“There’s a lot of high-speed cars that go along there, and it’s dangerous for cyclists. Bicycling to work is still something I do every day, but a lot of people won’t bike between Copper Cliff and Sudbury right now,” he says.
There are two phases to the project. This fall, a large culvert will be inserted through an Inco railway overpass near Copper Cliff so that cyclists and pedestrians don’t have to contend with cars.
The city contributed $40,000 for the culvert itself, and Inco and Day Construction are paying for its installation.
Next spring, Rainbow Routes hopes to get a grant from Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) to hire people to construct a crusher-dust path along the stretch of road. There is already an existing dirt path in some places.
Rainbow Routes is also working with the city to get pedestrian lights installed at the corner of Balsam St. and Municipal Road 55 so that people can cross the road safely.
“Once you get onto Kelly Lake Rd., you can go down Copper St. and you can catch onto the Junction Creek trail, and you’ll be able to get all the way to town,” says Deb McIntosh, the executive director of Rainbow Routes.
The non-profit group is committed to the development, management, use and preservation of the Trans Canada Trail in the city.
“I’m ecstatic. It’s going to be so visible. When you come in from the west, driving into Sudbury, you’re going to see this thing – the culvert and the lovely path,” McIntosh says.
“It’s neat to think that people are going to be able to safely get all the way to Sudbury. Before, there was no way for cyclists and pedestrians to get from Copper Cliff to Sudbury except for going along Municipal Road 55.”
The Copper Cliff Community Action Network (CAN) also pushed to have the bike path built.
“We think it’s a great thing for Copper Cliff. It’s just amazing. We’re really excited. In terms of healthy initiatives for the city, it’s great. It also connects the city together, and it increases safety for kids,” says Dave McNeil, co-chair of the Copper Cliff CAN.
For more information about other paths and trails in the city, go to www.rainbowroutes.com.
