TRAFFIC movements at the Wrights Road roundabout in Port Macquarie are now the subject of detailed analysis by the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to identify improvement options to cater for the growing population in the Hastings.
Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams met with Roads Minister Duncan Gay and his senior advisors in Sydney to discuss what needs to be done to improve the roundabout.
The roundabout has been the subject of recent debate between Ms Williams and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council about how to achieve the best outcome to deal with increased pressure on this vital infrastructure.
“While Mayor Besseling is ‘disappointed’ in my approach to this issue, both Minister Gay and the RMS have made it crystal-clear that it is essential that both interim and long-term measures be explored,” Ms Williams said.
“The minister and I discussed a range of improvement options which could be undertaken including signalisation of the roundabout to a full reconstruction.
“While some modelling suggests that partial signalisation may work, RMS in conjunction with council needs to undertake full investigations to determine if this is indeed feasible and cost effective in the short term.
“Minister Gay has asked that RMS immediately commence concept design work for a long term solution with full costings to be identified.
“Obviously this intersection is a State Government responsibility, but local roads do impact on the road network and as the peninsula grows, whether that is through increased urban growth, expanded educational facilities or the proposed bulky goods precinct, the impact will become more acute in a relatively short timeframe.
“These impacts were not on the radar when the roundabout was designed more than a decade ago, but they are here now and we must deal with it in an intelligent and considered fashion.
“I appreciate Minister Gay’s commitment to deal with this issue in a strategic way to identify the best possible outcome for our local community for now and well into the future.”
