A Kurri resident believes upgrades to Main Road at Heddon Greta following the Red Rooster development are dangerous and need to be altered for safety reasons.
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Upgrades to Main Road in front of the service station and Red Rooster included the provision of a median strip, which prevents drivers from turning right out of the exit towards Kurri and the Hunter Expressway – meaning drivers have to head left onto Main Road and do a U-turn if they want to travel southbound.
However, Sharon McNaughton of Kurri says these alternatives are not safe as she has been on the side of the road next to six other cars trying to do a U-turn at the same time.
She said a lot of people don’t even bother going further up, and just do U-turns where it is illegal to do so.
“They just ignore the no U-turn sign,” she said.
Ms McNaughton uses the petrol station about twice a week, and occasionally visits Red Rooster but said she would go there more if it was easier to access.
Having a son who is a learner driver, Ms McNaughton said they don’t even try to do U-turns, but turn right further up main road and come around the block.
But with heavy traffic including large trucks that use the road to access the expressway, she said this can add minutes and stress to what would otherwise be a quick and easy trip.
Ms McNaughton would like to see a break in the median strip with a merging lane or a small roundabout implemented to improve safety.
“They can’t leave it like this,” she said.
“It’s just too dangerous.”
In accordance with State Environmental Planning Policy, Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) reviewed and provided comment on the development application for the service centre as part of the council approval process.
The left-turn-only access and median strip were part of RMS’s conditions of consent for the development.
An RMS spokesperson said a right turn movement in and out of the new development would not be safe due to the high number of vehicles using Main Road at Heddon Greta and the extended eastbound merge lane from the Hunter Expressway.
“Safe U-turn movements for vehicles to travel west towards the Hunter Expressway and Kurri Kurri can be carried out beyond the double barrier line on Main Road out of peak hours or further along Main Road via the local road network during peak times,” the spokesperson said.
