THE state government will spend $10 million to reduce traffic congestion at four major pinch points in Sutherland Shire.
Premier Mike Baird said the work could include intersection upgrades, extension of through lanes and right-hand turn bays, the provision of more off-street parking and better timing of intersection traffic lights.
Mr Baird made the announcement during the afternoon peak yesterday at the intersection of Captain Cook Drive, Taren Point Road and The Boulevarde, Caringbah.
He said $3 million would be spent in this location, where the right-hand turn bay heading west was extended considerably in a pinch-point project in 2013.
The biggest project will be at the intersection of President Avenue and Gymea Bay Road, Gymea, where $5 million will be spent.
The other two sites are the Kingsway, through the Caringbah shopping strip between Denman Avenue and President Avenue ($1 million) and the intersection of Princes Highway and Port Hacking Road, Sylvania ($1million).
Mr Baird said the funding would cover planning and construction.
Detailed investigations would be carried out on the best ways to improve traffic flow and reduce travel times at the four sites, he said.
Mr Baird said funding had been included in the budget forward estimates.
It was expected the projects would be completed in 1 to two years from now. Liberal MPs Mark Speakman (Cronulla) and Lee Evans (Heathcote) and the party’s candidate for Miranda, Eleni Petinos, attended the announcement.
Mr Speakman said the improvements in the Caringbah shopping strip could include extending the afternoon peak no stopping zone. Options for providing alternative parking spaces for shoppers were being considered, he said.
Ms Petinos said congestion was especially bad at the intersection of President Avenue and Gymea Bay Road during school hours.
Mr Baird said that as well as spending on big budget projects, it was important to fund small to medium improvements.
Told the last ‘‘pinch point’’ project on Taren Point Road took 12 months to complete, he said, Roads and Maritime Services would be asked to ‘‘do better’’.
WHAT ABOUT THE F6?
Mike Baird would not be drawn on whether the government would make any commitment about extending the F6 through the shire before the March 28 election.
Mr Baird said work was continuing on an $11 million scoping study, announced in the 2014 budget.
In addition, he said, the government was committed to construction of SouthConnex, an extension of the WestConnex from Arncliffe to Kogarah, which is dependent on the long-term leasing of the electricity ‘‘poles and wires’’.
‘‘We still have some significant announcements to make in relation to improvements to road connections to the southern suburbs,’’ he said.
Do you think this will be money well spent?
