17 kilometers along the water. A new bike path is being built in Minsk
For 17 years now — since September 2009 — we have been talking about Minsk having a main cycling route. The main Minsk bike path, stretching along the banks of the Svislach river from the Lebyazhy district to the Chizhovka reservoir, is beautiful, picturesque, and impressive, but already familiar. At the same time, the capital has a route that is in no way inferior in beauty, and in some ways even surpasses it — along the Slepianka water system, from the Tsnyanka reservoir to the same Chizhovka reservoir. For many years, it did not receive the attention it deserved, but now, before our eyes, the situation is changing. The city is close to getting a second main bike path — this is a very important step, writes Onliner .
Geography of routes
Minsk is crossed by two water arteries: the Svislach, which carries its waters through the Zaslavskoye reservoir – Minsk Sea, and the Slepianka water system, the beginning of which within the capital we will take from the Tsnyanka reservoir. Both arteries flow into the Chizhovka reservoir in the southeast of Minsk, meaning they pierce the city almost completely. It's an excellent idea to use them as guides for cycling and walking routes.
The main Minsk bike path, opened in 2009, is still in good order, although its age is already showing. Nevertheless, it is still the best direction for long urban rides through truly picturesque places, which are abundant along the banks of the Svislach.
The most logical and natural alternative to this route should be the route along the Slepianka water system. Moreover, this route, which connects a whole series of urban parks, natural and recreational areas, appeared much earlier, half a century ago, but, firstly, it was never equipped for cycling, and secondly, it did not receive enough attention. Now everything is changing.
Many Minsk residents have already noticed that construction began this year in the parks along the Slepianka water system. People are working, machinery is operating: expanding directions, laying curbs, paving slabs, preparing the base for the bike path. And since all this is happening not in a single isolated location, but on a long section immediately across four districts of the city, it becomes clear that something large-scale is coming.
— The arrangement of the Slepianka water system canal is being carried out simultaneously in the Partizansky, Zavodskoy, Leninsky, and Pervomaysky districts of Minsk, — says Roman Gerasimov, chief engineer of the state enterprise "Gardorbud". — We started in March, and we will finish by the end of this year.
— Does this mean that in 2027, it will be possible to ride along the new cycling route?
— Absolutely.
What kind of route is this? A bike path almost 17 km long through beautiful capital parks along the water surface of the canal. The width of the asphalt is 2.5 meters, meaning two lanes, just like on the Main Minsk Bike Path. The surface is asphalt concrete, which is important for cyclists. Sidewalks are being laid parallel, with paving slabs.
— Where it was possible to widen the road to the required width, the sidewalk is laid next to the bike path. In some sections, there isn't enough width for this (after all, we are preserving the existing green spaces in the parks), so the sidewalk and bike path separate and run at a distance from each other. There is a very narrow section, and the plan was even to separate the sidewalk and bike path to opposite sides of the canal, but then we concluded that this would create inconvenience, confusion in traffic, and we abandoned this idea — we will find a way to place everything together, — says Roman Gerasimov.
Along the route, rest areas with benches and canopies will be arranged, and there will be lighting at night.
Old new route
Construction is carried out in four stages, but this is more of a technical term. We need to understand that work is being done on four sections, and it can be carried out either sequentially or in parallel. In particular, when we photographed these places, it was evident everywhere that the active stage of construction was in full swing.
The first stage and the first section, when going from north to south, is the stretch from Karbysheva Street to Frantsisk Skaryna Street, 4.3 km long, through Polotsk Park, a section near the "Olimpiysky" ("Labor Reserves") sports complex, and the Vostok-1 microdistrict. The most beautiful places in the northwest of the capital! Worth seeing is the impressive cascade in Polotsk Park, near the tram loop, the decorative pools and fountains in the same park, or the dam near the "Agat" hotel, which you can cross, hidden behind a curtain of a waterfall, whose noise blocks out all other sounds of the big city.
This route was previously actively used for both cycling and walking, but it was easier to move on foot on the large paving slabs, while there was no bike path — now there will be.
The second stage is the section from Frantsisk Skaryna Street behind the National Library and Writers' Park, through Parnikova Street, then through Filimonova Street along the border of the Botanical Garden to Stoletova Street. And then another small section in Alexander Gerasimenko Park from Dolgobrodskaya Street to Kozlova Lane. In total — 4.55 km.
This second section of construction, with what is like a park located near the Velikaya Slepnya, is perhaps one of the most underestimated in the entire city and along the entire stretch of the Slepianka water system. Spacious and bright, it is never too noisy or crowded. To ride or walk here, to stop near another waterfall and feel cozy away from noisy roads — this is why people embark on such mini-journeys.
The third stage of construction is the section from Vaneeva Street to Malinina Street, almost 3 km long, through Chingiz Aitmatov Park and Family Trees Park. It was not bad there before, but one had to ride on a dirt road, which was not improved by periodic rains. And most importantly, everything seemed a bit wild, incomparable to the Main Bike Path, which has somehow become the measure of the capital's cycling infrastructure development.
Finally, the fourth stage runs almost in the same area, from Klumova Street to Malinina Street, but on the other, right bank, and covers a larger section of the canal, including Antonovsky Park and Omar Khayyam Square on both sides of Vaneeva Street. The length of this section is 5 km.
Nuances
The first thing to mention is that the route along the Slepianka water system canal will not be a main artery, like the one from Lebyazhy to Chizhovka reservoir. This means it's not a single and almost continuous bike path, but rather several well-equipped bike paths connected by existing or improved street-level cycle-pedestrian links.
For example, the connection between the first and second stages is a section in the area of the Independence Avenue and Filimonova Street interchange, as well as the territory near the National Library, including Writers' Park. Formally, there will not be a cycle highway there yet, but it is unlikely to be a major problem. There are two options:
- go up from the beautiful reservoir on the existing bike path to the avenue, ride 300 meters to the nearest ground pedestrian crossing (thank goodness, you don't have to dismount there), and then past the library via a pedestrian bridge rush to Frantsisk Skaryna Street;
- from the reservoir, cross to the other side of Filimonova Street, cross Independence Avenue under the overpass, and then cross back to the other side of Filimonova Street to ride past Writers' Park to Frantsisk Skaryna Street and then continue along the cycle route.
— You can't do it any other way — it's urban development, — explains Roman Gerasimov. — But movement for cyclists will still be comfortable, as existing connections are in good condition in some places, and where they are not, they will be brought into order.
Another matter is the railway near Kozlova Lane, at the border of the second and third stages of construction. Approximately halfway along the route from Tsnyanka to Chizhovka, we find ourselves at a dead end. To avoid this, a detour loop must be planned beyond Alexander Gerasimenko Park. It is entirely possible to go to Dolgobrodskaya Street, which will lead over the railway via an overpass, then turn, before reaching the MTZ Palace of Culture, onto Klumova Street and follow it to Antonovsky Park, continuing along the main route.
Another point is the sections along the Slepianka water system canal that have remained unattended for now. For example, around the Tsnyanka reservoir, you can comfortably ride a bike, but to Polotsk Park, where the equipped bike path will begin, you will have to make your way along sidewalks on Gamarnika Street, which is not as convenient. And a bike path is not yet planned there.
So yes, formally — it's not a highway, but such connections will not create a big problem. Of course, provided that everything is organized to minimize difficulties for cyclists, including the ability not to dismount here and there. And one more important point: urban routes should not be considered sports routes; you cannot ride at high speed on such paths. There are always children nearby, mothers with strollers, someone walking in the park and going the wrong way or walking a pet, and it tries to dart where it shouldn't, with the leash taut. Therefore, both the new route and the Main Bike Path are for leisurely rides, not for racing.
A pledge for the future
And yet, the development of the cycling route along the Slepianka water system canal is a landmark event for Minsk's cycling community, the best news in the years since the opening of the Main Minsk Bike Path. And not only because it creates another wonderful route. It provides a foundation for the future development of a network of large cycling routes crossing the city.
Let's imagine: just two kilometers along Malinina Street from where the new bike route approaches the Chizhovka reservoir — and we reach the ring of the Main Bike Path in the area of Dvorishchi Street. Two bike routes, connecting huge parts of the city, can be unified. This can be done even earlier if about a kilometer of road is arranged along Vaneeva Street to Denisovskaya Street. Or take the northern part of the city between Tsnyanka and Drozdov, which is being developed and will continue to be developed — there too, dedicated bike paths will be needed, which can fully connect the existing routes.
Lines are emerging for two main cycling arteries of the city, around which a wide network can be built. Its development will lead to bicycles, like personal mobility devices, being used more often not for entertainment, but as a full-fledged mode of transport, at least in the warm half of the year, which, in turn, will help reduce the load on the capital's road network, an aspiration of many progressive cities.
Therefore, almost 17 kilometers of new equipped bike paths along the canal are much more than might seem at first glance. This is a big step towards an even more bicycle-friendly Minsk.
Comments
Хіба яна толькі для яндэкс мапаў, таму трэба перарабляць.
Я аднойчы непрыемна здзівіўся, калі зразумеў, што добрая частка перадруковак-перакладаў тут губляе ў ілюстрацыях, а таксама ў спасылках, тэксце. Часта прасцей адразу пайсці глядзець арыгінал.
І каб не пісаць асобны каментарый: Гэты маршрут першапачаткова прапанавала і распрацоўвала Мінскае Роварнае Таварыства.
І так, галоўнае праблема ў ім, што ён не звязны, "пункцірны". Транспартныя развязкі будаваліся (і будуюцца) для аўто, не для людзей. Разбураюць пешаходную звязнасць (а роварная вельмі блізка ад яе).