Work is set to begin on the revamp of Darwin’s Smith Street from Monday 31 March, which includes new bike lanes, road murals and street trees.
The project, between Knuckey and Whitfield streets, will install bike lanes between the footpath and parked cars and new road crossings at Whitfield, Searcy and Edmunds streets.
It will also include traffic-calming murals painted on the roadway at intersections, more seating and more parking hubs for bikes and scooters all created by five local atists. The pride flag road crossing at Knuckey Street will also be re-freshed as part of the work.
The project first went out for community feedback in June last year, which saw support for separated bike lanes rather than the more traditional lanes between moving traffic and parked cars.
There was also a strong desire for as much greening and shading as possible, even if it meant losing car parking. As a result, 23 new trees will be planted, including some that will replace car parking.
The project team has managed to retain 37 car parking bays, losing only 19 bays to create the enhanced streetscape.
There will be traffic management in place during the work, with two-way traffic lane and pedestrian access retained but some impact on car parking availability. Work is expected to finish by July this year, weather permitting.
The $3 million project is funded by the Northern Territory Government and delivered by City of Darwin. More information is available at https://www.darwin.nt.gov.au/projects/smith-street-streetscape-improvements
Take a look at the fly-through artist impression of what the street will look like post July.
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