Avoid Cowes east beach during wall construction
Construction of 300-metre rock wall due to begin this week.
Beach goers have been urged to avoid Cowes east beach while a 300-metre rock wall is built.
Construction on the wall, which will be eight metres deep, is due to begin this week, starting at the Coghlan Road section and moving west to Rose Avenue.
It’s expected to be complete by December.
A pathway will be built at the rear of the wall to connect Cowes with Silverleaves in a coastal walk.
Trucks and heavy vehicles carrying rocks will each day travel along Gordon Street, Broughton Avenue and down Rose Avenue to the beach, none of which have footpaths.
Cowes East Foreshore Preventative Action Group (CEFPAG) chair Ken Hailey said the beach between Rose Avenue and Coghlan Road will be closed, classified as a work site.
“Residents and visitors should take extreme care during the next few months, and any beach users are encouraged for their own safety to avoid the Rose Avenue beach access if possible,” he said.
Bass Coast Shire will provide updates on their website and Facebook page, including traffic plans.
This is the second stage of the $3.35 million infrastructure project in Cowes east, jointly funded by the Federal government and the shire, to protect the beach from further erosion.
Stage one last year saw the construction of eight timber groynes.
Ken said residents understand the short-term pain was worth the long-term gain with six years of lobbying finally resulting in the works to stop erosion.
“We recognise the temporary inconveniences, but fully believe these are substantially outweighed by the long-term benefits of the project,” he said.
“It’s a necessary evil to get it completed.”
