Back-to-school traffic sees chaos return to Rozelle Interchange

Traffic chaos has returned to the Rozelle Interchange as school resumes, with frustrated commuters angry transport authorities have not done enough to fix the congestion.

Surface roads above the scandal-plagued Rozelle Interchange returned to traffic gridlock on Thursday morning as back-to-school traffic hit the roads.

Angry commuters took to social media to vent their frustrations as cars banked up on Victoria Rd.

Many pointed to issues with the traffic light phasing before Anzac Bridge, with lights going green for just a few seconds.

One commuter told morning radio it had taken him an hour and a half to travel 15km on Wednesday.

“It’s a complete disaster, it’s worse than before Christmas,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham.

Other drivers told Fordham buses were experiencing 10-minute delays, with cars using the bus lane to try and speed up their commute.

Traffic at the east-bound merge of the Rozelle Interchange was heavy. Picture shows signage at the single car traffic light which is causing lots of frustration for motorists. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Motorists reported the worst delays were between Gladesville and Drummoyne as well as parts of the City West Link approaching the Anzac Bridge.

A traffic jam at the Rozelle Interchange as students return from holidays. Cars queued on the western merge where traffic enters from The Crescent. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Roads Minister John Graham said changes to traffic light timing was causing major issues on the roads.

“I’m really conscious of the impact it is having on people,” he told Fordham.

Rozelle interchange madness.! Speed lighting pic.twitter.com/TXdwzgnRrx

— Bunty (@avieson) January 31, 2024

“Really the Rozelle Interchange bit is working but … (traffic light phasing) is having an unacceptable impact on people further up the road.

“Looking at that light phasing will be the discussion over the coming days.”

The $3.9 billion spaghetti junction has been plagued with problems since it opened in November last year, with some commuters stuck in traffic for up to 90 minutes.

Signage at the start on the new Rozelle Interchange on Victoria Rd. The word TOLL on the signage led to motorists avoiding the free tunnel linking the Iron Cove Bridge and the Anzac Bridge, which bypasses Victoria Road, resulting in a huge traffic queue. Picture: Richard Dobson

A car causing havoc by reversing at the entrance to the Victoria Road A40 tunnel of the new Rozelle Interchange, near the Iron Cove Bridge, today. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Confusing signage for commuters travelling into the CBD saw commuters originally avoid the toll-free Iron Cove Link tunnel, with traffic banking up at major bottlenecks on Victoria Road and the City West Link.

The Rozelle Interchange on November 30. Picture: Richard Dobson

In December extra signage was added along Victoria Rd and a section of extra lane space added to the City West Link. While there were discussions about also adding extra lane space along a section of Victoria Rd, this has not occurred.

Additionally Transport for NSW did not install additional traffic signals in the interchange tunnels, where traffic from the M4 motorway and Iron Cove Link tunnel merge.

This comes after Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne had warned the government’s changes to the spaghetti junction would not be enough to prevent traffic gridlocks as kids went back to school.

He called on Transport authorities to install more signs directing traffic into the free Iron Cove Link tunnel as well as moving the bus lane on Victoria Road to the outside lane.

“I am not confident the current plans will be enough that local residents will be able to get out of their suburb and get to work,” he told The Daily Telegraph last week.

Do you have a story for the Daily Telegraph? Email [e-mail]