Concrete works taking place on Portarlington strip

ONE the Bellarine’s busiest walking stretches will have works conducted shortly to provide better accessibility and safety on one of the most highly used sections of the Bellarine’s Coastal Trail.

A section on the Portarlington Foreshore has been chosen for concreting due to it being one of the most highly utilised sections of the Bellarine Coastal Trail and being adjacent to one of the region’s busiest beaches and the Portarlington Harbour.

“These works will improve accessibility and safety for all coastal users,” a spokesperson from Bellarine Bayside said.

“Through concreting the section between Sproat Street and the Portarlington Pier, this section of the trail will see a significant reduction in seasonal wear and tear.”

The works will involve boxing up an agreed alignment, which will incorporate adjacent coastal furniture.

The concrete base that is being laid will be a sandy colour topped with a smooth trowled quartz pebble aggregate to best match the colours found on the coast.

“In addition to the trail upgrade, we are also exploring options to introduce outdoor showers and a drinking fountain to the picnic area near the Portarlington Pier,” the spokesperson said.

“We are aiming to get the works complete before Christmas.”

Over the last two-and-a-half years, Bellarine Bayside Coastal Management has successfully renewed the entire 17-kilometre continuous stretch of trail between Portarlington and St Leonards to make it safer and more conducive for shared use.

This has been supported by the Victorian Government through the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes program, enabling Bellarine Bayside to fast track the project for the community.

There will be minor disruptions to the trail access during this time, with detours put in place.