UPGRADES to the Suttor Street and Bradwardine Road roundabout are underway, with council staff undertaking preliminary works at the site this week.
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Councillor Warren Aubin, who has been petitioning for the roundabout to be upgraded for years, welcomed the beginning of the work saying it will make the area safer for motorists.
Cr Aubin said the upgrade involved a lot of work, but the end results would be worth it.
"There is a fair bit of work to do, new rubber will be laid to extend the existing roundabout, and the existing painted traffic islands will be concreted, so anyone racing along there will lose a wheel if they hit it," he said.
"There were safety concerns in the area, so it had to be done," he said.
Councillor Aubin, who is also chair of the Bathurst Traffic Committee, has long described the roundabout as "one of the most dangerous areas of road in Bathurst."
In August 2019, Bathurst Regional Council received $235,000 in Black Spot funding to improve it, after a number of very serious crashes.
Cr Aubin said at the time the roundabout was "the worst in the city."
"It's become the worst intersection for crashes in Bathurst," Cr Aubin said.
"I use it 10 times day, even more. The major thing is as you come down Bradwardine Road, if there's a vehicle on the roundabout it's usually right behind the pillar of your windscreen, right in the blind spot.
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"Most people don't actually look around, so if you keep going through ... whack."
Cr Aubin said the problem is drivers just weren't slowing down.
"If they don't slow down..... something terrible is going to happen there.""
The left turning lane from Suttor Street into Bradwardine Road, towards the RTA, will also be removed, so there is just one lane of traffic, which can either go straight ahead or turn left.
Cr Aubin said this was a large part of the issue on the roundabout, and suspected it would reduce potential accidents.
While work began at the site on Monday, Cr Aubin said he is unable to say how long the work will take to complete. He said the upgrade involved a lot of "fiddly" work which could take slightly longer.