Lismore roundabouts under review

LISMORE could see a handful of its much-loved roundabouts turned into traffic lights if the recommendations of a Lismore City Council road review eventuate.

A LISMORE City Council review could see some roundabouts changed to traffic lights. Photo: Dominic Feain

LISMORE could see a handful of its much-loved roundabouts turned into traffic lights if the recommendations of a Lismore City Council road review come to fruition.

Four roundabouts have been targeted for potential traffic light sites along the Bruxner Hwy: Mountain View Dr and Invercauld Dr in Goonellabah, Molesworth St in the CBD and Union St, South Lismore.

"Traffic lights are a normal progression for a growing city," Lismore City Council senior strategic engineer Neville Drews said.

"Roundabouts are great in resolving traffic volumes up to a certain per cent... but once they get to a saturated condition, they're unsafe for pedestrians and lose their effect for distributing traffic."

Mr Drews did emphasize there were other options such as dual lane roundabouts, and the final decision would lie in the hands of the RMS.

Another major recommendation is the linking of Oliver Ave to Cynthia Wilson Drive, allowing an alternative route into East Lismore and the CBD for Goonellabah residents.

This could remove traffic intensity along the Bruxner Hwy between Rous Rd and Rotary Dr, the most traffic intensive stretch of Lismore's urban roads which sees 27,000 vehicles a day, a number expected to jump to 38,000 by 2018.

A further road extension will connect Bangalow Rd to the Bruxner Hwy by linking Howards Grass Rd and Mountain View Dr, easing traffic along Richmond Hill Rd for Bexhill, Clunes and Byron Shire residents accessing Goonellabah.

Lismore City Councillor Vanessa Ekins, the only councillor to vote against the public display, was critical of the philosophy behind the road review.

She pointed out the stretch of land between Cynthia Wilson Dr and Rous Rd was a prime koala corridor.