While traffic jams of almost two kilometres may not seem like a lot to city folk, it's a shock to the system for Cessnock residents.
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And that's the situation motorists on Wollombi Road are now facing on a regular basis, with traffic crawling from the Hickey Street/Francis Street intersection to Vincent Street at peak times.
Trying to turn right onto the main road from any of the cross streets in West Cessnock at these times is a nightmare, and with thousands more homes planned for Bellbird in the coming years, it's only going to worsen.
Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon has thrown his support behind a ring road that would provide a northern and southern bypass of central Cessnock, with an eventual connection to the Hunter Expressway via Old Maitland Road.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the ring road would give local residents the opportunity to exit and re-enter the town without driving through the CBD.
Cessnock City Council adopted a design concept for the ring road as part of its Cessnock LGA Traffic and Transport Strategy, which was endorsed in September last year.
The strategy identifies a preferred road network for the year 2041, which would include a northern bypass via Mount View Road, Oakey Creek Road and O'Connors Road, plus a new road to connect Wine Country Drive to Old Maitland Road; a southern bypass including a new link road from Bellbird to Aberdare; upgrades to Old Maitland Road and a bypass to Hart Road - a 23.5-kilometre project estimated at $95.2 million (not including the full interchange at the Hunter Expressway).
The strategy also identifies several spots as requiring immediate attention, including the corner of Orange Street and Cessnock Road at Abermain; and eight different intersections along Wollombi Road, West Cessnock (from Mount View Road to O'Neill Street).
Other upgrades in the strategy include works at Aberdare, Abermain, Weston, Kurri Kurri, Branxton, and on Main Road at Heddon Greta from the expressway to Cliftleigh.
Mr Fitzgibbon said there has been "rapid change" on our local roads, due to the growing population, tourists visiting the vineyards and the success of the Hunter Expressway.
"You don't have to be paying too much attention to conclude our local roads are becoming busier with both local and Wine Country traffic," he said.
"It's hard to imagine what our Cessnock's economy would look like without our increasingly popular and increasingly diverse vineyard offerings.
"But who would have ever thought Cessnock would have its own peak hour?
"Some Sydney folk may laugh at us, but it's frustrating some people enough for them to avoid the CBD."
Mr Fitzgibbon said the ring road would help to improve the economic and physical connectivity between the Cessnock CBD and the vineyard area.
He said further progress on shared pathways (walking/cycling) would also help further growing economic activity in wine country.
"Economic connectivity between Wine Country and the CBD will improve with the further development of infrastructure like the new Bridges Hill Park and by attracting investment in CBD retail offerings, which are complementary to those things which attract Sydney-siders to our vineyard area," he said.
Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent said all levels of government need to come to the table to see this project come to fruition.
"We (the council) are going to need to attract a huge amount of funding for this important piece of infrastructure," he said.
"Council have identified a road bypassing the Cessnock CBD as a preferred road network under the Traffic and Transport Strategy 2018 that will cater to future growth and better deal with current traffic conditions.
"It's a large investment and as result it will take continued lobbying and time to secure funding.
"Council is always looking for opportunities to fund roads improvements and we'll certainly embrace any opportunity that arises to see this project get off the ground.
"Whether that is now or down the track, we'll be ready.
"The work could be staged in the near future to solve the immediate traffic issues, particularly on Wollombi Road."
Cessnock MP Clayton Barr applauded the council for looking at the "big picture issues" and said he would push for the state government to support the project.
"Let's face it, for anyone that drives through the centre of Cessnock in the peak mornings and afternoons it is well known that we have a problem," Mr Barr said.
"A ring road, to allow people to drive around the city centre instead of through it, is both bold and sensible.
"While I acknowledge that it is very much up to Cessnock Council to make the first few moves on this front, I would be excited about the prospect of trying to get State Government funds to make it a reality.
"If Cessnock wants to take the step up and shift from being a big country town, up to a scale of being a small but high-functioning city, then road and transport infrastructure will be one of the keys to unlocking that potential."
- Read more about the Traffic and Transport Strategy here.
