Lake Burley Griffin will soon face competition as Canberra's go-to spot for joggers and recreational cyclists, with the ACT government planning to build a new 12 kilometre trail traversing the National Arboretum.
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The planned packed-dirt track would be designed for "family-friendly pedestrian use" and "low impact cycling", according to government tender documents for the project.
Work on the trail is scheduled to start in April and be completed in September.
The trail, which would range from 90 centimetres to 1.2 metres in width, would wind through the arboretum's central and southern sections, alongside the existing paths in the 250 hectare grounds.
The Molonglo Valley arboretum, which opened in February 2013, has four shared-use looped paths, which range in length from 700 metres to 2.2 kilometres.
Cycling, running and horseriding are permitted on the trails, making it a popular recreation destination.
An ACT government spokeswoman said the new 12 kilometre trail would allow Canberrans to experience the National Arboretum and its tree collection "like never before".
The spokeswoman said the project was being delivered in response to community feedback, including from surveys and emails, which indicated the public wanted to "see more of the National Arboretum and to engage further with the forests".
She would not comment on the cost of the project while the tender process was ongoing. Bids for the contract are open until February 14.
The government wants to create a trail would allow for the "leisurely traversal" of the arboretum grounds, and have asked for a path which avoids sharp or blind corners and has a gradient no steeper than five per cent at any point.
Contractors would have to consult with the National Arboretum before undertaking work which might affect the health of its trees, according to the tender.
The Sunday Canberra Times last year reported the ACT government has committed $374,000 over the next two year to undertake consultation, planning on design on a new mountain bike trail network for Canberra.
It came as riders raised concern that Mount Stromlo, once lauded as Australia's "mountain bike Mecca", had fallen off the radar as a world-class facility because of a lack of recent investment in new trails.
