There was a little deja vu in the air for former Narrabri Municipal Council assistant engineer, and later Narrabri Shire roads manager Robert Kneale when he took a look at progress on construction of Narrabri’s new main street.
Mr Kneale, now a shire councillor, has a longer association with the various re-configurations of the main street than probably anyone else.
“I was here nearly 50 years ago when I worked for the Municipal Council and we laid the bitumen for the CBD post flood in late 1972,” said Mr Kneale.
Since then there have been three Maitland Street re-seals that he recalls.
Works have included resealing the main block and possibly another one or two at each end over that time.
However, The Courier understands that the current scale and scope of work – a complete upgrade of the three main business blocks in one project – hasn’t been undertaken for much longer.
Add in the extensive replacement of water mains and associated works, the median strip, lights and trees and the current upgrade becomes something much more than a once in a generation project.
Mr Kneale was always a strong advocate for hot mix asphalt as the final surface for the new CBD.
Hot mix is a more expensive alternative but one that is more suited to a prime urban street.
“I believed Narrabri deserved hot mix,” said Mr Kneale.
The journey to the current multimillion-dollar Maitland Street makeover has been a very long one. Many will recall the community meetings discussing the Main Street Master Plan, the pros and cons of street lights on the footpath, whether on kerbside, roadside or median strip, the median strip itself and ultimately the main street trees.
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