After years of uncertainty, residents of Sydney's inner west will be able to travel the length of the completed greenway bike and walking track between Cooks River and Iron Cove by the end of 2021.

But the leafy corridor connecting Earlwood to the Parramatta River for walkers and cyclists isn't expected to fully flourish as a major cultural and community destination for at least a decade.

A cyclist rides along the Hawthorne Canal on Monday. Credit:Louie Douvis

The greenway, coveted for years by inner west councils and locals, will provide a continuous link from the Cooks River cycle path to the Bay Run at Iron Cove, which is close to city bike corridors.

It follows the route of the Inner West Light Rail Line, which opened in 2014.