Sutherland Shire Council and ANSTO have partnered to build a new cycleway connecting ANSTO to the Sutherland Shire Cycling Network.
The addtion to the new cycleway has helped create a scenic cycling experience from Sutherland railway station to ANSTO at Lucas Heights.
The new route takes cyclists over the Jannali railway cycle crossing; across the Woronora River Bridge walking and cycling path, through Bangor and Menai and past the Ridge Golf Course before ending at ANSTO.
ANSTO's acting chief executive Shaun Jenkinson said the cycleway was an important link between ANSTO and the local community.
He said it provided an important amenity for ANSTO's staff and the growing number of collaborators and entrepreneurs who work out of the ANSTO precinct.
"We invite members of the public to enjoy this great new path and in the future, post-COVID-19, come and take a tour of our research facilities or join our very popular school holiday workshop activities, which are very popular with local kids," Mr Jenkinson said.
Greater Sydney Commission Central and South District Commissioner Peter Poulet said the new cycleway provided improved connectivity for ANSTO staff and visitors, and was a key project identified in the ANSTO Collaboration Area Place Strategy.
Sutherland Shire Council's long-term transport strategy tabled last year set a target of increasing walking and cycling's share of total daily trips across the shire by 25 per cent by 2030.
"One of the things that makes our relationship with our local community so special is the high number of ANSTO employees who live in the shire," Mr Jenkinson said.
"By creating a sustainable and reliable way for them to travel to and from work, we are helping our staff stay healthy, while also helping the planet.
"We expect the bike pathway will become more important as the ANSTO precinct continues to attract more graduates and students to be part of the Graduate Institute and the nandin innovation centre, with students being able to ride directly from Sutherland station to ANSTO for the first time."
Sutherland Shire councillor Carmelo Pesce said the cycleway would serve to enhance the opportunities for local residents and visitors to enjoy the outdoors while keeping fit, whether ANSTO was part of their daily commute or was a place to visit.
"We know that one of the things local residents value most about living in Sutherland Shire is the huge range of opportunities to get out and get active in our beautiful natural surrounds," he said.
"This newly completed cycleway provides even more opportunity for local cyclists to get out and enjoy a scenic ride as they make their way to what is one of our major local employers and one of the nation's leading centres for science and technological innovation."