Work will begin this month on a roundabout that’s the scene of frequent fender benders and injuries, just outside Raymond Terrace.
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Port Stephens Council will carrying out the work on behalf of NSW Roads and Maritime Services at the intersection of Seaham Road and Raymond Terrace Road at Nelsons Plains, near the Fitzgerald Bridge.
While the Centre for Road Safety lists no fatalities at the intersection it has found that 12 people were injured at or near to the T-intersection in 2015 alone. There were four people injured in just one of the crashes, in this most recent-available crash data.
The intersection is one of two roundabout projects the council will undertake this month after it made successful bids for the work. The other being at Tanilba Bay as previously reported.
“Where roundabouts are deemed to be an effective solution, such as at these sites, they will improve the safety for road users significantly,” the council’s capital works section manager Phil Miles said.
“Being a state road the RMS will be more involved with this one. But with it being a state road this means the traffic flow will be maintained through the project at peak times, albeit at a reduced speed.”
The design of the $1.65 million roundabout has already been completed. It will be a traditional roundabout without slip lanes.
The work will begin on the night of April 29 with some changes to road markings to facilitate physical work the very next day. Throughout the 10 to 11 week project, traffic won’t be able to turn right onto Raymond Terrace Road from Seaham Road.
“For people coming down from Seaham who want to turn right onto Raymond Terrace Road they will have to come up to the roundabout at Newline Road to complete a U-turn,” he said.
The $1.5 million roundabout at Tanilba Bay is scheduled to take 12 weeks starting “early May”.
“There will generally be two-way traffic flow,” Mr Miles said.
“Weather permitting, we expected the project to be finished in August.
“Access from Lemon Tree Passage Road to Avenue of the Allies will be closed through the duration of work but there will be alternate access from President Wilson Walk."
The state government announced $3m in road projects in September to be completed within two years.
The upgrades across Port Stephens are:
- $300,000 in 2017/18 for off-road cycleways at roundabouts, and widening lanes for more cycleways on a 9.5km length of Nelson Bay Road (MR 108), from Medowie Road to approx. 1.8km east of Marsh Rd, Williamstown/Salt Ash.
- $795,000 in 2017/18 for two intersections on Lemon Tree Passage Rd, Tanilba Bay. Install a one lane roundabout at the first intersection and improve sight distance and install raised concrete island at the second intersection.
- $1.65 million in 2017/18 to install a two lane roundabout at intersection of Raymond Terrace Rd and Seaham Rd at Nelson Plains.
- $120,000 in 2018/19 to install traffic calming devices, improve road surface with increased friction and improve sight distance at intersection of Shoal Bay Road and Gowrie Avenue in Nelson Bay.
- $190,000 in 2018/19 to install traffic calming devices to reduce risk of crashing into roadside hazards on a 1.3km length of Foreshore Drive, Port Stephens Drive to Sandy Pt Road Salamander Bay.