Viola Place bikeway delivers safer cycling connections 

On January 27, Brisbane City Council officially opened the Viola Place bikeway. It’s a really important 600-metre shared path connecting Viola Place to Schneider Road near Brisbane Airport. While short in distance, the link fills a long-standing gap in Brisbane’s bike network, providing a safe, off-road alternative to some of the area’s most challenging and traffic-heavy roads. The link has solar lighting for added safety after dark.

Brisbane City Councillor Ryan Murphy said the opening marked the end of a frustratingly long journey for riders and advocates alike. 

“This link was about to be constructed when I became a councillor in 2012 and we’re opening it in 2026,” Cr Murphy said. “This is one of those ones that was caught in development hell between land acquisition, TradeCoast, lawyers, between state government and council.” 

Despite the delays, Cr Murphy said the importance of the connection was always clear, given the tens of thousands of people who work in the airport precinct. “The fact that it’s now open is really satisfying to me. This is one of the most satisfying openings I’ve ever been to, even though it’s a small link.” 

Cr Murphy said the bikeway provides a vital alternative to dangerous on-road routes. 

“People come off the Gateway Bridge and they want to get straight into the airport precinct,” he said. 
“They can’t do it unless they go down Sugar Mill Road, and it’s an extremely dangerous connection. You’ve got trucks, lots of delivery vehicles, because we’ve got some of the big freight companies here.” 

“This just means those cyclists are now safe. They can continue on what is an off-road path, all the way through to the airport precinct, and we know that there’s tens of thousands of people that work at that precinct.” 

Cr Murphy also paid tribute to the persistence of local advocates. 

“We also just thank the advocates who have been so patient, and many of the Bicycle Queensland members have been so patient, waiting for this connection to be here,” he said. 

Bicycle Queensland CEO Matthew Burke, who was at the opening, said “Parts of this route were built many years ago, but only this week is it all starting to stitch together as a bicycle friendly route to the airport precinct.”  

He said “Kudos to Mitch Bright and the Brisbane Airport Bicycle User Group (BUG) for their decades-long advocacy for this network. Congratulations to Council’s project team for completing a tricky project that wasn’t made easy by Queensland Rail and other land owners.” 

Prof Burke also highlighted the need for a bike-friendly airport. “People already arrive at Brisbane Airport with bikes and try to ride to the city centre. They find themselves on pretty awful roads straight away. We’re now that bit closer to a safe direct route.” 

For Mitch Bright from the Airport BUG, the opening represents more than a decade of advocacy. 

“The bikeway connecting to the Gateway Bridge was first suggested when the bridge was in planning. The bridge opened in 2010, with no connection,” Mr Bright said. 

He said council funding was committed years ago, but progress stalled. 

“In 2014, the Brisbane City Council determined that this connection … through Viola Place to Schneider Road, was an option that they should pursue,” he said. “In 2019, we still hadn’t seen any action on that, so we started getting active, talking to the local newspapers. In 2021, council announced they’d be building it that year, and then nothing happened, and then, finally, in 2025, we finally got a work order.” 

For riders, the difference is immediate. 

“The alternative is Sugar Mill Road, which is quite heavily trafficked by trucks,” Mr Bright said. “There’s also Nudgee Road, which is a freight route as well.” 

Belinda Ward from Space4Cycling said the link transforms access for riders crossing the Gateway Bridge. 

“It’s a major connector for anyone who comes over the Gateway Bridge,” she said.  “This path, although it’s only short, it cuts out some horrendous pieces of infrastructure.” 

She said the opening also supports changing travel patterns. 
“This suddenly opens up a cheap, safe alternative to get to a lot of workplaces.” 

As Brisbane’s airport and surrounding employment precincts continue to grow, the Viola Place bikeway stands as a reminder that sometimes the most best infrastructure upgrades are the ones that finally connect the major projects.