THE Narooma streetscape project is starting to take shape in stone and is looking fantastic thanks to the stone masons and workers from Eurobodalla Shire Council.
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A big part of the $4.2 million project to spruce up the Narooma Flat is all the stonework walls, benches and features.
The stone masons working on the Narooma Streetscape project are Peter McMahon and his son Eric from Convict Constructions and Marko Cardinale, all from Moruya.
Peter said by the end of the project it was expected there would be between 80 and 90 tonnes of blue-grey basalt sourced from Murrumbateman and chosen for its resemblance to the rock on Montague Island.
“We shape them and then lay them with gravity using the dry laying technique so that the rock should be able to stand by itself before we add the mortar,” he said.
And the best thing about the stone walls is they required no maintenance and would last forever.
He said the curved walls that double as both broad bench seats and planting boxes had been particularly challenging.
But that this had been one of the best projects he’d worked on with excellent support from the council work crew and its supervisor Nick Ziviani.
Mr Ziviani took the Narooma News on a tour of all the works starting at the big new park at the Narooma Visitor Information Centre, where the stone walls were meant to be laid out in the shape of Montague Island.
Council workers were last week filling in the spaces between the stone bench planter boxes with smooth concrete floors, while later a full-size, climbing style playground will be added.
The new roundabout and pathways on the Princes Highway would also get continued attention with all the power lines due to be undergrounded in the next week or so and the power turned on to the streetlights.
The stone masons were currently working on the feature walls at the Narooma Sport Leisure Centre but would soon move up to the adjacent Ted Street Park.
Mr Ziviani explained work had already begun on the new zigzag pathway leading up from the centre to the Ted Street Park, named after the ice-cream company founder who once lived in Narooma.
In a tribute, the welcome signs and benches would be made to look like oversize paddle pop sticks.
The revitalised park would have one of the best views overlooking the inlet and would be great spot for locals and visitors to sit and take in the views.
The stone masons are expected to be finished their work in three to four weeks, but council had plenty more work ahead including all the landscaping using native and locally sourced cuttings and trees.