Media strip to make Lords Place more “walkable”

Pandemic lockdowns; constant rain; freezing weather; and yet construction of the Lords Place rebuild continues apace.

Major work includes construction of a new median strip between Summer and Byng streets as part of Orange Council’s Future City project to make the central business district more pedestrian-friendly.

The traffic island is designed to provide better connections for people walking from Summer Street to Robertson Park and the Civic Precinct with the aim of Orange becoming a more “walkable” city.

Orange Mayor, Councillor Reg Kidd said that installation of the median strip was the next step in upgrades to this block of Lords Place, with new kerb and guttering on both sides of the street completed, and new footpaths on both sides of the street in the process of being finalised.

“The 2.6-metre-wide median strip will assist with traffic flow in Lords Place, which will make it easier for someone on foot to cross the road safely,” Cr Kidd said.

“A pedestrian crossing will be installed halfway along the block, outside 241 Lords Place.

“Once complete, the wider median strip will be the centrepiece of this street, with plantings of shrubs and trees,” Cr Kidd added.

There has periodically been little or parking on the western side of the block as the work has progressed with new driveways and entrances put in place. Drivers though have managed to find the odd-spot between the contractors’ vehicles, earth-moving equipment, and trucks that have been working on the project.

Work is soon to start on a similar rebuild of Lords Place between Summer and Kite streets with this work also to be based on the Future City framework adopted by Council last year following a significant consultation process with the community and urban designers, SJB.