Work has started on a £2million facelift for Oban town centre.
George Street, the town’s main shopping front, and Station Square are to get a similar makeover enjoyed by Stafford Street last year, which was given new paving and a marble public seating area.
Argyll and Bute Council is spending the money as part of its Chord (Campbeltown Helensburgh Oban Rothesay and Dunoon) waterfronts project.
And now the public is beginning to see the fruits of the plans, with the council reporting good progress has been made in the first week of work.
Contractor, Land Engineering, is aiming to complete the shopfront side of George Street and Station Square first, with the seaward side going ahead last.
A council spokesman said: “The work around shopfronts has been planned to minimise disruption, with small sections being completed quickly then handed back to the public, rather than working on large sections of street which would obviously take more time.
“The work will start at the roadside of the footway and work in, meaning access is maintained at all times. Any work directly around shopfronts will be take place outside trading hours, again keeping the disruptive element of the work to an absolute minimum.
“Land Engineering has a site office at the Rockfield Centre, where people can drop in if they have business or personal queries on the project and speak to the community liaison officer, Luke Hart, who will be happy to help.”
Work undertaken in the first week included traffic and pedestrian management established and trial holes drilled at north east George Street, traffic management established and site clearance at south west George Street.
At Station Square traffic management has been established, where a one-way system has been implemented in Queen’s Park Place, with southbound traffic only. The northbound bus stop has been relocated to a lay-by outside Nancy Blacks.
A temporary taxi rank has been based in the closed section of bus bays on Station Square and in the lay-by outside the Iona Shop.
Excavation of the footway has commenced and demolition of the existing bus shelters and site clearance has started.
This week seven containers of granite are to be delivered for new kerbs and paving.
Normal hours of work will be 7am-7pm Monday to Thursday and 7am to noon on Fridays.