Widen the old highway to provide M1 backup says Commuters Association

With an inquiry currently underway into continual traffic hold-ups on the M1, Central Coast Commuters Association President Eddie Ellis says a revamp of the Old Pacific Hwy could provide relief.

“Some years ago, the government funded bi-directional equipment on the M1, whereby traffic was held up and stopped and police could direct traffic to the other side of the freeway to bypass the hold-up,” Ellis said.

“The police have been unable or unwilling to implement this at short notice.

“Before the M1 had three lanes to Gosford, the old Pacific Hwy had two lanes in each direction, the full length from Gosford to Hornsby (except the bridges).

“After the M1 widening, the old Pacific Hwy had the lines repainted with only one traffic lane in each direction, and was rebranded a tourist road.

“I asked the authorities to retain the dual lane line marking, as in the event of a hold-up on the M1 it would be more beneficial to have two lanes of traffic in each direction.”

Ellis said if the lines were repainted to reintroduce two lanes in each direction on the old highway, it would immediately double capacity of the road.

“Furthermore, because of the steep hill incline from Hawkesbury River and Mooney Mooney, in both directions, slow moving vehicles hold everybody up,” he said.

“So, if the two lanes were reintroduced, slow moving vehicles could easily be overtaken, almost tripling the number of vehicles that could use it per hour, in the case of an M1 blockage.”

Ellis said obliterating the old line marking and introducing new line marking would have a modest cost.