Annangrove Rd and Old Northern Rd route proposed as fast corridor to relieve Hills congestion
ANNANGROVE Rd could hold the key to busting traffic woes in key Hills town centres.
Hills Shire
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ANNANGROVE Rd could hold the key to busting traffic woes in key Hills town centres.
The Hills Shire Council group manager for strategic planning Michael Edgar said new suburbs like North Kellyville and Box Hill are putting pressure on local roads.
“Annangrove Rd serves as a link between Windsor Rd and ultimately Dural Round Corner via New Line and Boundary Roads, to Pennant Hills Rd,” he said.
“Clearly this road network is being used by a number of communities as an alternative to the arterial Windsor Rd and M2 corridor.
“We believe that a link from Annangrove Rd to Old Northern Rd, bypassing Dural Round Corner makes sense in the medium term and a corridor should be agreed and funded — as it will be a long time before outer M8 and M9 motorways become a reality.”
The Hills has had its fair share of developments approved or in the pipeline, bringing as many as 168,650 people into the area over the next 20 years.
“Providing efficient regional road corridors is a means to reclaiming local streets in our town centres,” Mr Edgar said.
“A lot of traffic in Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Norwest is not originating or arriving at our town centres, but rather going through it.
“If this through traffic had an efficient alternative regional corridor, it would relieve congestion in our town centres.”
The comments come after a decision by Hornsby Council to place the South Dural development on hold due to concerns over locals roads.
Hornsby Mayor Steve Russell said of the decision: “From the very beginning we have been concerned by the increase in traffic (the proposed South Dural development) would cause, particularly on New Line Rd and Old Northern Rd which are already overburdened.
“Even without the South Dural Planning Proposal those roads are in a terrible shape.”
Mr Edgar agreed, saying while there were merits to placing a development in South Dural, it needed to be looked at holistically.
“It’s fine to say we need more houses but it is critical this is supported by logical improvements including roads — otherwise people will just resent it,” he said.
“It’s hard for the community to accept this without the regional roads in the area.”
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