A completion date is still unknown for upgrades to the Jindabyne Shared Trail, along the dam wall, in efforts to improve safety for trail users.

Snowy Hydro and Snowy Monaro Regional Council are working together to enhance safety of the trail across the dam wall, a high usage area for riders, walkers and runners.

In discussion for more than a year, the three governing bodies involved including council, Snowy Hydro and Transport for NSW, have been unable to give a completion date ahead of the busy winter season.

The joint effort is making steady progress towards a long-term solution that balances trail access with safety requirements.

Officials note that identifying a safe and permanent path or cycleway design has been complex due to the dam’s unique structure and the limited available space surrounding it. A safe and permanent design is the goal, but the path forward remains complex.

The current safety requirement for all cyclists remains in place, where cyclists must dismount at the barriers and walk their bikes across the dam wall.

The project has also involved addressing immediate safety concerns.

Council project and infrastructure officer, Tony Lickiss, said the footpath had to be closed to people riding bikes over the spillway, though cyclists can walk their bikes through the section.

He said that riders have, on occasion, come off their bikes and fallen into traffic along the spillway, though no one has been seriously injured to date.

“In response, officials have discussed potential barriers, including the DOLRE Low Stress Parapet System, a barrier design developed in Europe and used on other state and local roads,” Mr Lickiss said.

“Cars go through that section fairly quickly. We at council have come up with a solution, using a DOLRE traffic barrier, new to Australia, developed in Europe. The design has been fully tested and they are a progressive failure barrier. They are a lot kinder to the sub-straight they are connected to.

“The spillway is quite thick concrete to keep the lake down, so when a car hits it, it does transfer large loads to the structure, so we’ve suggested that as a solution to Transport for NSW.

“They so far have not approved that plan because it is not an approved product.”

Mr Lickiss said a DOLRE barrier would be kinder to the sub-structure and could transfer large loads away from the bridge deck in the event of a crash, but Transport for NSW has not approved it for installation on the road and has not yet endorsed it for the dam wall project.

Transport for NSW has reviewed the DOLRE product and deemed it non-compliant, noting that the Lake Jindabyne Shared Trail project must comply with legislation due to its proximity to the state-managed Kosciuszko Road.

Because the project sits under Roads Act 1993 oversight, Transport for NSW will need to review updated designs from Snowy Hydro and the council before work can proceed.

Snowy Hydro has emphasised that while it designs a new solution, ongoing engagement with the relevant agencies continues as the process moves toward completion.

“Snowy Hydro is committed to partnering with Transport for NSW and council to play our part in implementing a permanent solution that will allow pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles to cross Jindabyne dam wall safely,” a Snowy Hydro spokesperson said.

“Snowy is responsible for the design of a new solution and we have been engaging with the other agencies during the design process, which is almost complete.”

Together, the groups are making steady progress toward a long-term solution that effectively balances trail access with safety requirements.

Officials re-iterate that updates will be shared as the design and planning components are finalised, with the shared goal of delivering a safe, long-term solution that best serves all trail users.