Cobble trouble costs dearly

Midori Teppanyaki and Bar owner Kay Bahk said the cobblestones at the intersection of James and Lake streets dislodged easily when driven over and Northbridge patrons would trip over the potholes when crossing the road.

‘There was always trouble with the stones there because they always had a hole,’ Ms Bahk said.

‘At night (people) can’t really see even if there’s light on and the girls, they’re wearing high heels and they’re drunk.’

Big N chairman and Mustang Bar owner Mike Keilor said while the cobblestones looked better than bitumen, it was not a long term solution because the stones required too much maintenance.

‘It was becoming a patchwork quilt of bitumen and cobblestones so it didn’t look too flash,’ Mr Keilor said.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the City had spent about $21,000 on temporary repairs for the road since it was laid in 2009, while an alternative permanent solution was investigated.

The City of Perth spent $535,665 installing the cobblestones in 2009 and $393,865 to remove and replace them with asphalt.

‘The City expects to make savings from this project as the replacement surface materials are less expensive and better performing,’ Ms Scaffidi said.

Work on the intersection will be staged and is expected to end in mid-April.