One of the most popular walkways on the Northern Beaches is being upgraded to improve safety and accessibility.

Northern Beaches Council Deputy General Manager Ben Taylor said the Narrabeen Lagoon Trail boardwalk between Bilarong Reserve and Deep Creek Reserve at North Narrabeen is being reconstructed to make it more user-friendly and more resilient to flooding.

“The lagoon trail is one of the most popular and widely used community facilities on the Northern Beaches and Council is constantly seeking to improve the usability and resilience of this priceless recreational asset.

“The trail takes you through beautiful ecosystems with an abundance of wildlife, cultural heritage and historical sites. Narrabeen Lagoon itself was recognised as a State Park in 2014.

“More than 190 different species of birds have been recorded in the catchment area including the iconic White-bellied Sea Eagle. It’s also home to Black Swans, Diamond Pythons and Fish Bats. It is truly an ecological gem on the Northern Beaches,” Mr Taylor said.

Work will include replacement of an 80 metre section of the elevated boardwalk with a wider, non-slip boardwalk.

“The old section of the boardwalk did not meet the standards set by other sections of the Trail. This continues the $7 million upgrade of the walkway to bring the whole trail up to modern, safe standards with a wider 2.5 metre boardwalk.

“Council is currently considering options how to resolve the remaining narrow areas of the Trail.” he said.

Also included is the replacement of a 14 square metre viewing deck that was damaged during the June 2016 storm event.

To facilitate the work, the section of the trail between Bilarong Reserve and Deep Creek Reserve alongside the Wakehurst Parkway will be closed for approximately five weeks, weather permitting, from the start of May to allow the work to be completed.