Regular walkers, Barry and Paula Franklin give the thumbs up to the new walkway/cycleway. The couple say the project will make it safer for all those who walk the route every day. Photo / Christine McKay
Regular walkers, Barry and Paula Franklin give the thumbs up to the new walkway/cycleway. The couple say the project will make it safer for all those who walk the route every day. Photo / Christine McKay
Dannevirke's long-awaited walkway/cycleway has made giant strides in the past week, delighting regular walkers Barry and Paula Franklin.
The Franklins live in Victoria Ave and walk the loop, including Smith and Adelaide roads, at least twice a week and are full of praise for those donating time and equipment to get the project completed.
"[Contractor] Ernie [Christison] is doing a good job. This new walkway will make us and other walkers feel that much safer," Mrs Franklin told the Dannevirke News early last Saturday morning.
Contractors Ernie Christison (in digger) and Bruce Hunt (on the compactor) volunteered their time to work on the walkway/cycleway on Saturday.
"You know some people don't like to move over and it can be dangerous walking on the roadside."
On Saturday morning, Thomas Morgans of Farmers Transport was delivering lime to the project as his company's contribution to the project.
"I was having a beer with Bruce Hunt and he mentioned this project and I thought this is bloody neat so I rang the Farmers Transport hierarchy in Hastings and they told me to go ahead," he said.
Thomas Morgans of Farmers Transport, delivering a load of lime to the walkway/cycleway project on Smith Rd on Saturday morning.
"We think this is a good project to be involved in. It's awesome."
Farmers Transport donated the truck free of charge to haul the lime from Richard Brown's Quality Lime at Coonoor and Mr Morgans, an owner/operator groundspreader driver for the company, gave his time for free.
"This lime we're putting on is a very good product, known as track rock," Mr Morgans said. "I think it's cool you can walk a few minutes out of town and be in the country."
Earthworks for the project have begun along Adelaide Rd and Mr Christison, who has donated his community board salary and time to the work, said he is hopeful of good progress now, if the weather obliges.
Contractor Bruce Hunt was also giving his time to the work on Saturday and was pleased with how the walkway looked.
"It's smooth and great," he said.
Mr Christison said he expected there would be plenty of happy residents as the work continued.
"Bruce [Hunt] and I are on a mission," he said. "We expect to get to Cole St by the end of June."
Although Mr Christison is putting his own money into the project, he was not expecting his crew on traffic management to go without wages on Saturday.
"He said he didn't want us to work for nothing and is paying us, we really appreciate that," worker Shayne said.
Progress on the project has been helped in a big way by a $20,000 donation from the Monty Fairbrother Charitable Trust, topping up a $5000 donation from the Dannevirke Community Board.
The volunteer contribution is something to be proud of, Richard Brown said.
