Consultation is about to commence on the New South Wales Labor government's election commitment to deliver a congestion busting $11 million upgrade of the Speers Point roundabout and road network.
As part of the government's plans to build better communities across the state, the proposed upgrade will cut travel times while improving safety and reducing congestion in north west Lake Macquarie.
With this area expected to be home to 12,000 more residents and 6000 more jobs over the next 20 years, the government's plan for the Speers Point roundabout upgrade will help ensure the growing number of families in this region spend less time in traffic and more time doing what matters to them.
A key focus of the proposed upgrade project will be changing traffic movements on Five Islands Road, restricting movements into and out of Creek Reserve Road as well as providing a dedicated left turn lane on TC Frith Avenue.
The upgrade will also seek to improve walking and cycling connections as well as public transport facilities, to help support more sustainable modes of transport.
Transport for NSW is also considering several additional improvements, including the potential installation of traffic lights at the intersection of TC Frith Avenue and Seventh Street, which would also involve extending the two lanes in each direction on TC Frith Avenue from The Esplanade to north of Seventh Street.
As the upgrade project's public feedback period kicks off, Transport staff and contractors will be on site over the coming weeks to undertake traffic data collection and identify utilities, geotechnical and environmental constraints, that will help shape design of the final upgrade.
Community members can provide feedback on the initial proposed upgrade options between 30 May and 23 June.
After the feedback period ends, a report responding to the community views will be published and further detailed upgrade design work will be carried out after taking into account community feedback.
Timing for construction is not yet confirmed and would be dependent on planning approvals.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:
"After 12 years of neglect in the Hunter, the New South Wales government is delivering for local communities including like Lake Macquarie with this much-needed upgrade at Speers Point.
"With $3.5 billion worth of infrastructure projects underway across the Hunter, our communities will benefit from more reliable travel times and safety improvements while also meeting the future needs of our Hunter communities."
Member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper said:
"Congestion around Speers Point roundabout has been a source of frustration for the Lake Macquarie community for many years. During peak periods traffic can often bank back for several kilometres along TC Frith Avenue and this is happening seven days of the week.
"Progress on this long-awaited project will be a welcome relief to residents who lose valuable hours travelling on these roads every day. I encourage all residents to take this opportunity to review Transport for NSW's plans and to provide feedback into the design options proposed."
Labor's spokesperson for Lake Macquarie Emily Suvaal MLC said:
"Everyone locally knows the Speers Point roundabout at the intersection of Five Islands Road, TC Frith Avenue and The Esplanade is a local bottleneck and it's great to see work progressing to deliver this much needed upgrade.
"We took a commitment to the election to boost funding for this infamous roundabout, and it is wonderful to see this work commencing.
"Across the state the NSW Labor Government is investing in projects like this to set communities up for the future by reducing congestion and improving safety on our roads."
