Upgrade to Memorial Ave, Kellyville, could be up to five years away

MOTORISTS fed up with the snail pace of Memorial Ave during peak hour may have to wait another five years until it’s upgraded.

Traffic heading into Castle Hill on Memorial Avenue. Picture: David Swift

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MOTORISTS fed up with the snail pace of Memorial Ave during peak hour may have to wait another five years until it’s upgraded.

On a good day, the Kellyville thoroughfare can see up to 25,000 cars travelling up and down the 2.2km stretch of road.

RMS predicts an increase of vehicles of at least 46,000 by 2031.

With the new development transforming the grassy paddocks into lines of houses, more trucks and cars are using the two-lane road and it is feeling the pressure.

Memorial Ave upgrade does not a start date as yet. Picture: David Swift

The State Government pledged to upgrade Memorial Ave to a four-lane road to the tune of $150 million.

But Hills Shire councillor Michelle Byrne said the RMS has suggested it could be 2021 before the upgrade starts.

“The upgrade of Memorial Ave should be fast tracked to cope with the pressures of increased usage as a result of the rapid growth of the area,” she said.

“The reality is that the upgrade needs to occur now and not in five or six years time.”

The nearby Balmoral release area, off Memorial Ave, nearly 1400 homes have been approved by The Hills Shire Council since 2010.

“The pace of development is now far greater than the original planning cycle actually allowed for,” Cr Byrne said.

Hills Shire councillor Michelle Byrne and state member David Elliott, who pushed to secure an upgrade at the Kellyville arterial road.

“As a consequence, a lot more residents now need to use Memorial Ave, it is congested, the traffic flow is slow, and drivers are taking more and more risks just to get through.

“It is becoming a dangerous game of Russian roulette for many using this road.”

More than 35 accidents have occurred on Memorial Ave since 2011. Some of these crashes have caused serious injuries to drivers and passengers.

An RMS spokeswoman said there were no current plans to accelerate the upgrade.

“RMS has funded some safety improvement work at Memorial Ave and Hector Court which was completed last year,” she said.

“RMS is continuing with other nearby projects including building the $340 million east-west upgrade of Schofields Rd.

“This will provide a direct link between Windsor Rd at Rouse Hill and Richmond Rd at Marsden Park and is expected to be completed by late 2018.”