Chinatown construction to continue in early 2019
Construction work to go on standby and road closures removed from 22 December 2018.
Reduced program of works during January and February 2019 due to potential for rain disruption.
Construction back in full swing from March 2019 with only partial road closures required.
Construction work in Chinatown is set to break briefly over Christmas and New Year, before a reduced program of works is undertaken during early wet season and construction then ramps up again from March 2019.
Construction will come to a halt this Saturday, 22 December. Road closures will be removed from Carnarvon Street and Dampier Terrace which will re-open to traffic and for parking, however some safety and traffic management measures will remain in place.
Because of the potential for significant disruption from rain, a reduced program of works will be undertaken during January and February 2019 that will include asphalt sealing of Carnarvon Street and installation of services for power and water.
The full program of works and partial road closures will resume in early March 2019 and carry through to completion to coincide with the start of the tourist season in late April.
Work completed since construction began in October 2018 has included demolition and then reconstruction of the full roadway in Carnarvon Street and partial demolition in Dampier Terrace, trenching and installation of underground power and communications infrastructure, and installation of kerbing and sections of exposed aggregate footpath.
Behind the scenes considerable work has been carried out to pre-fabricate items including new shade shelters, seating benches and light poles, while more than 1200 new plants and trees are being grown off-site in Broome ready for planting next year.
Work is also underway on the public art and interpretation projects including a new entry statement, shopkeeper’s sculpture, pearling historical timeline, and artwork to feature on benches, street lights and in paving.
The full works program will resume in early March 2019 and include hardscaping such as demolition of old footpaths and installation of new concrete aggregate footpaths, paving, street lighting, shade shelters, seating, kerbing, WiFi, and the public art and interpretation items.
The $6.9 million streetscape upgrade stage of the Chinatown Revitalisation Project is funded by the State Government and Shire of Broome, with work carried out by construction group Downer EDI Works Pty Ltd and a range of sub-contractors.
Broome Shire President, Harold Tracey, said that it was exciting to see the project taking shape.
“We’d like to thank the community and particularly the traders in Chinatown for their patience and cooperation during the most difficult stage of the works,” Cr Tracey said.
“We’re confident these temporary disruptions will be worth the result, and when work resumes in 2019 we expect that this level of disruption will be reduced.
“In addition to the long-term benefits from the revitalisation of our town centre, the project is also delivering a significant boost for our local economy during construction and we’re well on track to meet our ambitious target of 75 per cent local content.”
For more information on the Chinatown Revitalisation Project and sub-projects visit www.chinatownbroome.com.au, subscribe to the email newsletter and follow the Facebook and Instagram pages.
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About the Chinatown Revitalisation Project
The $12.7 million Chinatown Revitalisation project is being delivered in partnership by the State Government and the Shire of Broome, with $10 million funding from Royalties for Regions, $2 million from the Shire of Broome, and $700,000 from Tourism WA.
The project includes 10 sub projects all designed to reinforce Chinatown’s position as the ‘Heart and Soul’ of Broome – the historic, cultural and hospitality centre of our town.
These sub-projects include feasibility studies for larger, potentially transformational projects, as well as design and construction of significant street and landscape upgrades to Carnarvon Street and Dampier Terrace to make the precinct more attractive and encourage activity.
Implementation of the projects and oversight of the feasibility studies is being undertaken jointly by the Shire of Broome, Kimberley Development Commission and LandCorp. A Community and Stakeholder Reference Group has been established by the Shire and consultation with the wider community and key stakeholders will continue throughout the process.
