I am rarely in agreement with the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, but I have to endorse the Chamber’s proposal for the installation of traffic lights at the Rawson/Railway Rds intersection, as a measure to improve safety at the Rawson Rd level crossing and to enhance vehicle movement through the intersection (“Community wants solutions for Rawson Rd level crossing”, PP 048).
Stephanie Short can harp all she likes on the impractical Bulls Hill underpass but the costs can never be justified on traffic or safety grounds, so we have to consider what can actually be achieved.
The Chamber’s idea is a good one and will certainly meet the immediate need, while we grapple with the long-term problem of finding a real alternative to the Woy Woy Rd access to the Peninsula.
That said, I have been harping for many years myself on the benefits of improving the Shoalhaven Dr underpass for better car access to the Peninsula.
At first glance, there appear to be few obstacles to widening the underpass for two-way traffic, and the advantage of keeping the existing headroom is that heavy vehicles will still have to use the level crossing and will, thus, be confined to main distributor roads, as they should be.
It will still involve an improvement to the Woy Woy Rd/Shoalhaven Dr intersection, but we Woy Woy residents don’t need one of the Council’s gold-plated, multi-million-dollar roundabouts: we are simple souls and could probably manage just with right-hand and left-hand turning slots.
It is difficult to understand why the Council sees this as such a problem.
Email, Feb 27
Bruce Hyland, Woy Woy