By NIKKI TODD
CABARITA residents living opposite the new Woolworths shopping complex say the high volume of trucks is destroying their road, with plate-sized pieces of crumbled bitumen littering their street.
Several patches of Hastings Road are severely cracked with crumbling chunks of bitumen potentially posing a danger to motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
The remainder of the road around the new complex resembles a cracked, dried river bed, and is likely to break up in the near future.
Kevin Francis, resident manager of the 50-unit The Reef Villas estate on Hastings Road, said the surface presented a potential danger to residents.
“The road is totally crumbling,’’ Mr Francis said.
“It is dangerous, we’ve really got to be careful.
“Something has got to be done about it, it’s just worsening. There are so many trucks coming along here; the road is just breaking up.’’
Mr Francis said the road had degenerated considerably since construction of the new shopping complex began last year when heavy trucks, including up to 30 cement trucks per day at times, accessed their road on a regular basis.
He said residents believed the road surface would be restored once construction was completed as part of the development approval process, but apart from a small patch to cover a new pipeline, it had not occurred.
“Every time a delivery truck comes down the road, it is just breaking away,’’ Mr Francis said.
“I thought council would come and fix it all up, but their way of fixing it is to just put some hot mix over it but it needs more than that. How bad does it have to get before they do something about it?’’
Mr Francis said the surface had worsened with the heavy rain of recent weeks.
A Tweed Shire Council spokesperson said the road had been identified for maintenance, but would not take place within the next 12 months.
“The condition of Hastings Road was identified by council as needing rehabilitation before the Woolworths development,’’ the spokesperson said.
“Council will schedule works as part of its regular rehabilitation program, however this will not be in this financial year, as funds have been allocated.’’
