Cessnock councillor Darrin Gray fears it’s only a matter of time before a fatality occurs on Main Road at Heddon Greta.
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The road has been inundated with an extra 4200 vehicles a day since the opening of the Hunter Expressway in March 2014, and with hundreds more houses planned for Heddon Greta and Cliftleigh, the traffic is expected to get worse.
Cr Gray has raised the issue at council a number of times, most recently at its July 19 meeting, with a motion asking for a report on the progress of addressing safety issues such as the Traders Way intersection, traffic signals at Heddon Street and turning and parking issues at the Hunter Expressway off-ramp, and strategies to fast-track the resolutions of these issues.
Council delegations have met with state ministers and the Roads and Maritime Services regarding these issues, and Cr Gray said his motion aimed to “maintain pressure on the State Government and the RMS”.
Cr Gray said the increased traffic continues to have an adverse impact on the amenity of local residents.
“Not a week goes by that I'm not contacted, about a crash or near miss on this section of road,” Cr Gray said.
“From my experience and observation, it's not if there is a fatality, it's when.”
As a condition of development consent, the developer of the Avery’s Village subdivision will be required to construct interim works at the intersection of Heddon Street and Main Road prior to the release of 40 lots.
The final design of the intersection is the responsibility of RMS, which is the relevant roads authority for Main Road 195.
Cr Gray said the community can’t afford to wait for the developers to construct these traffic controls.
“The Roads Minister really needs to intervene and expedite solutions for this section of road,” he said.
“The current situation is unacceptable to the residents of Heddon Greta who are facing these dangerous conditions as well as the thousands of commuters using this road on a daily basis."
The report will be brought back to council in the coming months.
According to RMS, 15,500 vehicles travel on Main Road, Heddon Greta each day – an increase of 4200 vehicles per day since the Hunter Expressway opened.
An RMS spokesperson said the department will work with Cessnock City Council to help identify options to improve safety and traffic flow in the area of Main Road at Heddon Greta.
“The concerns around safety and congestion are associated with development in the area and due to additional traffic using the intersection from the nearby Cliftleigh residential precinct,” the spokesperson said.
“Minor signage improvements have been carried out on Main Road between the Hunter Expressway and Earp Street to address safety concerns related to motorists doing illegal u-turns near the service station.
“The community will be kept informed about any other proposed improvements in the area.”
Meanwhile, works to upgrade safety on Cessnock Road, Gillieston Heights have recently been completed by Roads and Maritime Services.
The NSW Government allocated $4 million for the project, which involved widening the road shoulders and strengthening a 1.66 kilometre section of the road from Russell Street to north of Testers Hollow, plus minor drainage work.
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