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Canberra's mountain biking mecca Majura Pines will reopen today after being closed for the construction of the Majura Parkway. Alongside the ACT government, a team of volunteers constructed about half of the newly opened trails, putting in over 1000 hours of labour to get the forest back up to scratch. Majura Pines Trail Alliance convener Michael Davison, a driving force behind the team of volunteers, said about 100 dedicated helpers have been physically shovelling dirt, raking and digging the paths over the past six months to get the trails ready for the reopening. "When they released the master plan 12 months ago there was scope for the community to build trails," he said. "The government was going to throw some money at it, but obviously a lot was going to have to be built by the community." Mr Davison said after no access to the trails for three years, the volunteers were keen help the project come to fruition. "Majura Pines is the home of mountain biking in Canberra. It started out here, probably from the early 1990s. There is a lot of racing history out here; it's always been one of the mountain biking meccas for people not only in Canberra but throughout Australia." The road split the forest in two, so while cars and trucks trundle along the newly opened bypass, riders of all ages and abilities put on their helmets and prepare to mount their bikes at the carpark off the old Majura Road. For decades, the Majura Pines working forest has been popular not only for mountain biking, but also running and orienteering, attracting major local and national competitions. The beginner trails begin to the east of the new road just off the carpark, while across to the western side of the new road is more challenging and mountainous terrain. The two are joined by an underpass for easy access. The official opening of Majura Pines will be held at 10am on Sunday, near the carpark and beginner trails off Majura Road.

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