What's happening?
The top layer of asphalt is planned to go on this week at the new Wallcliffe Rd roundabout, smoothing the road in time for school holidays. This is the first dry weather window allowing completion of these works.

Road closure info

• Full and partial closures planned for Thurs 1 July & Fri 2 July
• There may be partial closure of this intersection on Sat 4 July.

Access and detour info

• The new peanut roundabout on Tunbridge St/Churchhill Ave/Bussell Hwy will be open as per the detour map below
• Please follow detours signage

Several initiatives to help draw people to Margaret River’s Main Street as part of the Main Street Makeover are set to roll out over the coming months.

The Shire of Augusta Margaret River is supporting a live artworks project, new murals and a grant program designed to create vibrancy, encourage people to linger in town longer and support local traders during the works.

The Margaret River Memories project kicked off this week, with artist collective group SPARK Creatives, using historical stories and community memories of Margaret River to paint a storyline up and down the Main Street in an interactive piece of performance art. Poster ‘paste-ups’ will also go up around town featuring local written and photo memories.

Shire Sustainable Economies Officer Saul Cresswell said residents and visitors could also expect to see new murals by local artists adding colour and interest to some prominent walls on the Main Street.

“In partnership with Creative Corner and Emergence Creative, the Shire has commissioned well-known artists Ian Mutch, Sandra Hill and Jack Bromwell to create a sensational work of art,” he said.

“As soon as the weather looks promising, the collaborative art piece featuring iconic Black Cockatoos, local flora, and Aboriginal designs will get underway,” he said.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to ease, the Shire’s previously announced Main Street Activation Grants are now open once again.

The pool of six grants, each up to $1,000 aim to assist with ideas that will help create vibrancy on the Main Street, helping to draw people in and support Main Street traders.

Ideas might include art works, mini-events, silent discos, light projections, rewards card programs, and more.


Add your memories and photos to the SPARK Creatives Facebook page or use #margaretrivermemories

(Stage 1a) North entrance to town

• The right turn into Tunbridge St has been operating for the past 2 weeks; there has been a requirement for intermittent closure to enable concrete works to the footpaths and peanut roundabout.
• Exposed aggregate footpath construction will continue until mid-June.
• The intersection is open at weekends for traffic and with completion date for this stage scheduled for mid-July.

(Stage 1b) Wallcliffe roundabout ready in two weeks

• With works almost complete, this will be the first component of the project to open at the end of June.
• Landscaping in the roundabout is complete and continues along the verges.
• The SS Georgette memorial now occupies pride of place at the southern side of the roundabout and high school.
• Light poles are scheduled to be installed next week.
• This intersection is now open after hours and at weekends.
• The final asphalt seal will be completed once all other works are finished and when we have the right weather window.

(Stage 2a)
Churchill Ave intersection to Willmott Ave

• The main drainage line running up the middle of the street in this section is almost complete.
• Next week works to construct the lateral drainage connections from the kerb line side entry pits will commence.
• Stage 2a is expected to be completed by beginning/mid September, subject to weather.

(Stage 2b)
Festival Precinct on Fearn Avenue

• Works in Fearn Ave will commence as soon as the Wallcliffe Rd/Forrest Rd roundabout can be opened to facilitate traffic to and from the south.
• Initial works will include constructing the new roundabout to service the car parks behind Coles, Settlers and the IGA from Fearn Ave as well as service modifications to accommodate the new road layout.
• It is anticipated that works will commence during the week of 15 June.

Additional car parking – Wallcliffe Road

A new car park at the Wallcliffe Rd/Station Rd intersection is now almost complete with only line marking to be finished; this will provide additional bays to service the northern end of town. The adjacent car park, closer to the High School is being designed, with works to commence thereafter.

In accordance with the Local Government Act – Section 3.50 (1a, 4), the Shire gives notice of the following partial and full road closures.

Fearn Avenue – from intersection with Bussell Highway to the laneway connecting with Tunbridge Street
Bussell Highway – from intersections of Tunbridge Street and Churchill Avenue to Willmott Avenue

Closures are for the purpose of commencing Stage 2b, and continuing Stage 2a of the Margaret River Makeover.
Full and partial closures are anticipated to occur from 15 June 2020 to the end of September 2020.

Any persons wishing to make a submission about this matter should contact the Shire via email on amrshire@amrshire.wa.gov.au

All other enquires can be made by contacting Peter Brown, Project Manager – Main Street Redevelopment Project by email pbrown@amrshire.wa.gov.au or phone 08 9780 5255 or 0481 460 578.

The Shire will seek to minimise the impact of the construction works and apologises in advance for the inconvenience caused by the works.

Project details available at www.mainstreetmakeover.com.au

North entrance to town (Stage 1a)

Stage 1a is expected to be completed by the beginning of July (see stages map below).
Crews are now working above ground on the road surface, with the initial road seal now on and kerbing (including pedestrian crossings, pram ramps, roundabout and traffic islands) going in this week.
Next week exposed aggregate footpaths will be installed.

Helping traffic flow in prep for increase in visitors

We will facilitate traffic flowing into the town centre in support of traders.

• For the weekend of 23/24 May traffic will be able to use the Bussell/Tunbridge section of the new 'bean' roundabout to access parking to the west of the main street.
• For the June Long Weekend the roundabout at Bussell/Churchill/Tunbridge will be open to traffic to access to/from the north via Churchill and Tunbridge with the diversion via Higgins not in use.
  
  Subject to progress it is intended to make this the weekend norm thereafter for the remainder of the Stage 1a works to facilitate easier access to town for visitors now that the regional border relaxations are in place.

Wallcliffe Roundabout almost done (Stage 1b)

Works due for completion by the end of May/early June
If you've driven into town via the South, you'll see our new roundabout and footpaths taking shape. The new roundabout and road sections were sealed over the weekend of 15^th/16^th May with traffic movements continuing to allow travel through the intersection in a south to north direction. Crews are working hard to install the remaining footpaths, with Reuther Park's new path in and looking great!

The roundabout will be open for traffic during the June long-weekend, which is great news for our community and visitors.

Bussell Hwy to Fearn Av/Willmott Av intersection (Stage 2a)

Stage 2a is expected to be completed by beginning/mid September, subject to weather.

Stage 2a works were brought forward to coincide with the COVID-19 related travel restrictions and associated economic slowdown with works commencing at the beginning of May. Drainage is being installed up the middle of the road working up the hill. Pedestrian access to individual shops will be maintained via the existing footpath whilst stormwater pipes are installed up the middle of the road. During installation of the new footpath, pedestrian access will be maintained via a section of road parallel to the footpath.

Festival Precinct on Fearn Avenue (Stage 2b)

Stage 2b works will commence on completion of Stages 1a and 1b to ensure that traffic flows through and around the project area can be maintained and disruption minimised. The closure of Fearn Ave will require traffic detours to utilise the new roundabouts constructed in Stages 1a and 1b.

Last week marked an exciting milestone, with all underground stormwater infrastructure installed for Stage 1 works. We are in a good position to handle stormwater from winter downpours!

Wallcliffe Road/Bussell Intersection
Works are continuing on schedule for the completion and opening of the new roundabout at the Wallcliffe Road and Bussell Highway intersection. Key elements to be completed in the next week include kerbing, the granite rock wall adjacent to Senior High School and the footpaths adjacent to the roundabout.

The recent announcement that schools would reopen for the start of term 2 resulted in some hasty rescheduling of works to ensure school buses have access to the primary school.

Take a look at the aggregate finish on the new pavements.
This pic is the area south of Wallcliffe Road/Bussell Highway intersection.

Northern entrance to town
Crews continue to complete the deep drainage system with the final stages of work being undertaken that will connect the system to the existing rain garden area. So far more than 2800cubic metres (approx. 5000tonnes) of material has been excavated to enable the installation of around 620m of drainage pipe. Stormwater continues to flow through the existing network into the raingarden whilst any water removed from trenches is pumped through the sediment tank to remove any particulates before it runs through the raingarden for further cleansing and onward flow into the river.

Stage 2 of the Main Street Makeover works is being brought forward to an earlier start, kicking off at the beginning of May. This will support fast-tracking the completion of the project (see Project Stages map).

Initially this will involve the continuation of the stormwater upgrade works up the middle of the street from the Tunbridge Street/Churchill Avenue/Bussell Highway intersection heading south towards Fearn Avenue.

The 1.2m wide pipe laid to the north will continue to run up to the Fearn Avenue/Willmott Avenue intersection and act as the main conduit for stormwater running through the system from Tunbridge Street, Churchill Avenue, Willmott Avenue, Fearn Avenue as well as water running from the Wallcliffe and Forrest Road intersection.

Pedestrian access
Pedestrian access on both sides of the Main Street will be retained whilst the current cul de sac arrangement from Fearn Avenue heading north will gradually retreat as work progresses.