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I reviewed the proposed new road to alleviate future traffic problems from Kelso to the CBD with interest, from a position of being a Kelso resident and being aware of the growth under way in this area.
New subdivisions in Kelso and Laffing Waters have been approved by council with well over 1000 new lots still to be developed. These are in addition to newly completed subdivisions which still have vacant lots.
Within the next few years, when these are developed and the houses are built, this will mean approximately 4000 more people living in this area and, with two cars per household, around another 2500 cars.
Obviously the current infrastructure will not be anywhere near enough to handle the increased traffic, particularly at peak hours.
A prudent observer would consider that in approving such growth in housing that the road infrastructure planning would at least go along in train.
This does not appear to be the case with virtual silence from the council.
Some solutions put forward in regard to access to the CBD, either via a new high-level bridge to replace the Edgell Bridge on Marsden Lane or a duplication of Marsden Lane further west, hit a major hurdle when continuing to the junction with Durham Street.
Another set of traffic lights in this already congested area would only cause more hold-ups on all the roads used.
It is hard to see that any upgrade of the intersection of George and Durham streets can improve on the present. Increased traffic from Marsden Lane at this juncture would cause major hold-ups of traffic on Durham Street unless the proposed bypass of the CBD is built first.
In September 2018, I put a proposal to council as follows:
Construct a new roundabout where Gilmour Street meets Sydney Road. Traffic from Laffing Waters and Kelso, including traffic from Boyd Street, then has a choice to go west to the CBD or east towards Raglan, or an alternative new route into the CBD via Lee Street, then turning right into Stockland Drive and continuing to access a new road built across the floodplain on fill or peers at a high level alongside the railway from Stockland Drive to a new low-level bridge over the river alongside the current rail bridge.
The new road would connect on the city side of the river with an upgraded Bryant Street and then continue to a new roundabout at the junction of Havannah Street with Howick Street. This junction would allow several ways into the CBD.
This proposal would split up the volume of traffic at peak times, giving drivers a choice of route. A low-level bridge would be adequate as any flooding of the river has adequate space to go onto the floodplain without affecting the elevated road and bridge.
This proposal takes away the problems which would eventuate if all the Kelso and Laffing Waters traffic is directed to the area of Durham Street between Stewart Street and George and William streets.
The route would be approximately one kilometre longer than using Marsden Lane and also caters for Limekilns Road traffic, which will be as busy as Marsden Lane and Gilmour Street in the future.
I received correspondence back from council stating that the new crossing for the river was being planned by Roads and Maritime Services.
