Malop strip to shut again

A KEY section of Geelong’s Malop St will be closed for several months from tomorrow to allow for a total rebuild of the road.

The shutdown follows a two-month closure of the prominent shopping strip last spring, which saw traders suffer huge downturns in trade.

The works are part of the $8 million Green Spine project, which is putting extra trees, garden beds and seating in the block between Moorabool and Yarra streets.

While the stretch of Malop St will be closed to traffic, pedestrians will be able to access all businesses and use the crossing between the Westfield and Market Square shopping centres.

The council has not committed to a firm deadline, stating the closure is expected to last until the middle of the year.

Council investment and attraction director Brett Luxford said the roadway, which is more than 120 years old, would be completely rebuilt.

“We are basically having to pull off years of Band-Aids and rebuild the road from scratch,” Mr Luxford said. “I encourage the community to continue to shop and do business during the construction. You might also get a glimpse of history in the making.”

The first half of the project, completed last November, saw a number of additions to the street’s southern side. They included an 8m wide ‘Botanic Walk’, bike lanes, outdoor seating and dining areas.

It is part of a wider council and State Government plan to carry out a series of works along Malop St, stretching from Johnstone Park to the Botanic Gardens.

Al fresco permit costs have been waived for traders through to 2019 while the council is also subsidising coffee vouchers for traders to give to their customers.

While traffic will be cut off from tomorrow, demolition of the road pavement is scheduled to begin on Monday.