Stronger stairs open

The iconic Sandpatch staircase reopened after renovations last week, looking stronger and fresher than ever.

Albany’s answer to Perth’s Jacob’s Ladder, the stairs are a popular fitness and tourist attraction, featuring in hundreds of photos on social media each year.

The first section of the stairs has been completed and includes side railing to make it more accessible.

City of Albany manager of reserves Jacqui Freeman said the City decided to switch from earth stairs to a more robust structure.

“What we found is that the earth stairs were getting uneven and becoming difficult to traverse,” she said.

“A lot of people go fishing and surfing down there and were carrying a bit of weight up them. They get a lot of use and we used that to determine the need for structure and what level to go to. Sandpatch is a place that everyone goes to and more people will want to go down the stairs now rather than stay at the top.”

The stairs are made of wood and the panels consist of recycled panels and fibreglass mix.

Renovation of the lower sections of the stairs is scheduled to be undertaken in the coming years.