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WODONGA will follow the lead of Albury and introduce a Dean Street-style crossing when the city’s major intersection re-opens this month.
Pedestrians will be able to cross the High Street-Elgin Boulevard intersection in a diagonal direction in a copy cat move of Dean Street’s Kiewa, Olive and David streets crossings.
The changes will make access easier to the proposed Junction Place urban square and Mann Shopping Centre.
Wodonga Council’s planning and infrastructure director Leon Schultz said the council was delivering on its pledge to make the city centre more “pedestrian friendly”.
“It is a significant crossing,” he said.
“Roundabouts are difficult to negotiate for pedestrians and cyclists.
“The council has made a commitment to make the area more pedestrian friendly.
“This will be a significant step in that direction with pedestrians having priority.”
The signals will remove only three car parks along High Street.
High Street’s closure to allow the $4.3 million re-alignment of Elgin Boulevard has entered its third month.
Barring any major delays, it should re-open this month.
Bitumen will be laid in the second half of April followed by line-marking and the installation of signs.
Mr Schultz said works would continue in Elgin Boulevard under traffic control once High Street was re-opened to traffic.
“The project is seamless,” he said.
“It will go straight into stage two from stage one.
“Works will continue well into July-August, but that will be in Elgin Boulevard.”
The boulevard will be the major east-west road through central Wod- onga when completed.
It will run past two major development sites — Junction Place and Mann Shopping Centre.
Demolition and clearing of the old Mann site is almost completed with a section with Elgin Boulevard frontage about to be flattened in preparation of work starting on the $65 million shopping centre.
The area includes the former railway track and land swapped in a deal between developers and council last year.
Mann Wodonga Properties spokesman Stuart Gilchrist said final designs for the centre were being developed.
“We have been pushing as quick as we can,” he said. “It is going to take three or four months while we design the actual built form.
“We’ve got something like 20 consultants working on it.
“We are talking to potential leasees and some of their requirements are being worked into the design.”