A major upgrade of the Forest Road and Durham Street intersection has been hailed as the first step to securing the safety of school children and pedestrians in the Hurstville Education Precinct.
Georges River Council has given the green light for the upgrade to proceed, to be fully funded by a Voluntary Planning Agreement with the East Quarter Stage 3 developer.
Current and future high-density development surrounding the intersection at Forest Road, Durham Street and Wright Street, Hurstville has resulted in the need for the intersection upgrades to increase traffic and pedestrian safety in the area.
In conjunction with the East Quarter Stage 3 developer, designs to upgrade the four-way intersection at Forest Road, Durham Street and Wright Street, Hurstville, including associated road and footpath infrastructure, have been developed and certified by Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and Ausgrid.
The August 2 meeting of council approved the budget and funding in order to commence the project.
Works will include the relocation and power poles and utility services and installation of street lighting.
Traffic signals will be installed by a TfNSW contractor along with new signage and line marking.
Civil works will include construction of pavements, concrete median islands, pram ramps, kerb and gutter, footpath, tree pits and drainage.
Chairperson of the council's Assets and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Colleen Symington described it as a vital part to making the Hurstville Education Precinct safer.
"It's going to formalise pedestrian movement which in turn will make it safer for students and residents and contribute to the flow of traffic," Cr Symington said.
"This is very significant and very needed," she said.
"It's the first of three parts. Next up will be the Lily Street upgrade and then we will be able to have a comprehensive traffic study."
Councillor Ben Wang supported Cr Symington's comments.
"This area is very dangerous and very crowded not only for the current traffic situation but for upcoming development," he said.
In 2017 an independent traffic study commissioned by Georges River Council and carried out by Bitzios Consulting identified significant community road safety concerns in the area.
Problems identified in the study included inadequate pedestrian crossing infrastructure with a significant number of pedestrians coming from the high-rise apartments at the southern side of Forest Road, Wright Street and Durham Street intersection.
Georges River Council Council decided to liaise with developers to signalise the intersection with facilitating signalised pedestrian crossings.