School road upgrade plan

SURF Coast Shire council is planning a reconstruction of roads at Lorne P-12 College to improve safety students and families.

Stage two of the roadworks at Smith Street will include new bus bays, which the council said would upgrade the school’s main pick-up and drop-off area.

Six gum trees beside the road would need to be cut down to make way for the new bus bays, which the council is seeking approval for to allow the project to proceed.

A council aborist assessed the trees as defective last year and recommended removal.

The road safety upgrades would also include improvements for the school crossing, new pathways linking to the school gate and sealing the gravel parking area opposite the school.

New signs and line marking, improved drainage and minor landscaping would also be part of the project.

The council expects work to start during April and take about six weeks, subject to availability of contractors and materials amid COVID disruptions.