The Lucknow community has welcomed the start of work on a new 600-metre footpath alongside the highway at Lucknow.
The current stage of the new path runs along the southern side of the road from near Beasley Road, to the bus shelter. Subsequent stages will run the from the bus stop through to the hotel.
PATHWAY: Members of Lucknow's Community Committee check out the first stage of the village's new footpath. Pictured (l. to r.) are Cr Mel McDonell, Barbara Bloomfield, Helen Livingstone, Anne Beasley, Bruce Heinrich and Cr Jack Evans.
Orange City Council Lucknow Community Committee Chair, Cr Jack Evans believes the new path will make a huge difference to the local community.
"Lucknow is a brilliant community with a string of active businesses and attractions that are drawing growing numbers of shoppers and visitors," Cr Evans said.
"This path is going to make it much easier for both shoppers and locals to move around the village on foot. It will also make it safer and encourage children to use the footpath."
Lucknow Community Committee member Bruce Heinrich welcomed the project.
"The idea for this new footpath has come from the Community Committee and it's great to see the Council has listened to our ideas and is willing to put the path in," Mr Heinrich said.
"The committee had 'saved up' part of the funding for this project over a number of years through council's annual allocations and we wanted to give this project the funding priority."
"It's going to make it so much more convenient and safer for people to walk along to the street or to the mine and spend more time in the village."
The first concrete pour for the new path happened last week on the section near Beasley Road. Because there is naturally occurring asbestos in the area, Council crews are building the path above the ground, instead of excavating, and will build up the area either side of the path to complete the project.
Crews also plan to use the opportunity to improve the drainage in the area near the bus shelter.
