Work is set to begin on upgrading Bunbury’s Koombana Drive.
Starting Monday, the work is expected to run until November and will involve the construction of a new marine wall, replacing the George Baxter Boardwalk with a new land-based promenade, widening a stretch of Koombana drive and the construction of two cycleways.
A new roundabout will also be built to allow better access to the Dolphin Discovery Centre and the new Department of Parks and Wildlife headquarters.
Koombana Drive will remain open to traffic throughout the upgrade with reduced speed limits and traffic management in place.
The boardwalk, however, will be closed to the public from Monday, August 8 and re-opened at the end of the project.
The City of Bunbury said the upgrade is required as erosion from the Leschenault Inlet and stormwater runoff has deteriorated the road embankment and compromised the road surface while also impacting on the timber piles supporting the boardwalk.
Mayor Gary Brennan said it was important this key route into the CBD was safe and accessible for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
“While we understand this work will cause some inconvenience, the end result will be vastly improved access to the CBD for motorists and cyclists while also providing a safe route for the many people who enjoy the beautiful walk or run around the Leschenault Inlet,” Mr Brennan said.
Dedicated cycling lanes will be a key feature of the upgraded road and have been included to cater for the growing number of riders in the city.
“Cyclists currently have to ride with vehicular traffic on this stretch of road and providing dedicated lanes will greatly improve safety.”
Riders are being urged to take alternative routes into the CBD, such as Austral Parade, during construction as the road surface will not be suitable for riding on.
Along with the dedicated bike lanes, cyclists will also be able to use a new multi-use, land-based promenade to be constructed on the banks of the Leschenault Inlet once the project is completed.
