Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is pushing for action on an upgrade for the intersection of Dunban Rd and Ocean Beach Rd, Woy Woy, six years after funding for the project was pledged in the lead-up to the 2017 by-election for the seat of Gosford.
Chamber President Matthew Wales said funding was promised for the intersection, along with the Maitland Bay Dr/Picnic Pde intersection (now complete) and safety upgrades for Blackwall Rd and Woy Woy Rd.
“I recall (previous) advice that Council was looking at the Ocean Beach Rd priorities to determine if Dunban Rd was the most appropriate use of the promised funds,” he said.
“This project is now over five years old and it appears that we are no closer to the expenditure of the funds promised by the then State Government.”
Wales said the intersection was increasingly problematic in light of increased traffic loads on Ocean Beach Rd.
A spokesperson said Council had held preliminary discussions with Transport for New South Wales (representing the State Government) in relation to the criteria for accessing funding proposed for intersection improvements on Dunban Rd.
“However, without detailed traffic modelling, appropriate intersection treatments cannot be determined and costed,” the spokesperson said.
“At a similar time a number of intersection improvements and other road network projects were in planning and/or are underway, such as the Rawson Rd and Ocean Beach Rd intersection.
“Consultation across levels of government has also been held around improvements to the intersection of Railway St and Rawson Rd.
“With these current and pending improvements, travel patterns and intersection capacities need to be considered through traffic modelling.
“Staging of the required planning and construction works, along with achieved road network outcomes, will need to be considered as part of the modelling.
“Council will hold further discussions with the State Government, via Transport for New South Wales, seeking grant funding to be released to undertake the necessary traffic modelling to allow determination of the required intersection treatments in relation to Dunban Rd and other key intersections.
“The traffic modelling would also need to include a micro-simulation model with detailed intersection reviews along Ocean Beach Rd from Woy Woy to Umina Beach.”
Wales said the Chamber was well aware of the knock-on effect on intersection upgrades and how these could impact along Ocean Beach Rd.
“The Chamber also understands that this needs to be assessed when prioritising works,” he said.
“However, we are concerned that that this project has been on the books for the past six years and yet the required modelling has not been undertaken.
“We are now advised that the Council has only just decided to seek grant funding to undertake this assessment.
“The obvious question is why this has taken so long and how much longer will it take to complete the modelling?
“The Chamber also wants assurances from the new State Government that the allocated funding for the Dunban Rd project is still in the NSW State Budget and will not be lost as result of Council’s delays in getting this project out of the ground.”
Terry Collins