Overpass in WestConnex final stage causes stir
Community groups are asking to ‘go back’ to the original plan for the Rozelle Interchange before the ‘Los Angeles-style’ overpass modification was introduced.
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Residents are calling for a return to a previous plan for the Rozelle Interchange after a contentious ‘Los Angeles-style’ overpass was added.
The modifications for the final stage of WestConnex, which include the 8m high Crescent Rd overpass, were made public on August 21.
Submissions close on September 25, with residents and community groups objecting to the loss of the green link and road crossing at The Crescent.
Newly-created Annandale and Rozelle Foreshore Community president Pieter Lindhout called the new design “lazy” and said it was separating the community from accessing the foreshore.
“We want to go back to the original proposal. We think the 8m high ramp is a lazy design, something out of LA, which is easy and cheap to build,” he said.
“The Green Link between the Bicentennial Park and the New Park at the Rozelle Rail Yards would have opened up the whole foreshore — Glebe, Lilyfield, Rozelle, Annandale.
“They replaced the Green Link with a concrete link from the light rail over the City West Link. Since it’s a smaller plan, it doesn’t link green to green. It doesn’t link the foreshore with the Rozelle Rail Yards site.”
A direct, continuous pedestrian and cyclist green link from Rozelle over the City West Link to the foreshore in the earlier plan will be replaced with two bridges.
The modified 115m long pedestrian ‘green link’ bridge, will be moved to the west of The Crescent, and connect the Rozelle Rail Yards and the Rozelle Bay light rail stop.
The second bridge in the plan will connect Rozelle Park to the foreshore.
The modification also alters the crossing over The Crescent Rd from Johnston St to Bicentennial Park.
Where there was previously one crossing, there would now be four separate crossings.
Matthew Hart president of the Annandale North P & C, one of three primary schools on Johnston St who regularly use the foreshore parks, said: “As a group we are definitely concerned about the safety risk to the kids.”
“It’s introducing multiple crossings for kids to get to the green space … We have sports carnivals down there, a number of STEM based classes and excursions,” Mr Hart said.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said: “For anyone who has sat at the intersection of City West Link and The Crescent, this elevated (overpass) road will be a welcome relief as it allows motorists to bypass the traffic lights.”
“These changes will improve the traffic flow at the intersection of City West Link and The Crescent, Rozelle, and future-proof the intersection for forthcoming projects, including the proposed Western Harbour Tunnel.”
Balmain MP Jamie Parker said evidence that the overpass will decrease traffic just was not there.
“Global experience of major toll road construction has demonstrated conclusively that projects like this encourage more car use and eventually fill the increased road capacity they claim to create,” he said.
“All the evidence suggests that this overpass won’t solve our congestion problem.”
“This modification prioritises motorists, trashing the experience of local pedestrians and making it harder for residents to access shrinking local green space,” he said.
“It is a perfect enunciation of this government’s worship of private motor vehicles and private tollway companies.”
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