Inner West Council’s plan to stop WestConnex rat runs with road closures
LOCAL roads could permanently be closed by Inner West Council in a bid to limit the impact of WestConnex traffic and prevent rat running between unfinished stages of the $16 billion motorway.
Inner West
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LOCAL roads could permanently be closed by Inner West Council in a bid to limit the impact of WestConnex traffic and prevent rat running between unfinished stages of the $16 billion motorway.
A report by Beca commissioned by the council has identified 262 roads that will be affected by increased traffic and recommends measures to protect them including traffic islands, roundabouts and diversions.
Of that figure, the study predicts 34 roads will require partial or full road closures to physically prevent rat running from motorists avoiding tolls or using residential streets to fill in missing links of the motorway during construction phases.
The partial or full road closures include limiting cars from turning off Parramatta Rd into areas of Ashfield, Haberfield, Leichhardt and Annandale. Other streets where cars would be limited include Frederick St, Ashfield, Ramsay St, Haberfield and Darley Rd, Leichhardt.
There are also measures to break up the grid pattern in Annandale.
The report follows a rat running study released by the council last year which showed some local streets are predicted to be hit with traffic increases of up to 320 per cent by 2021.
The treatments have been estimated to cost up to $30 million and Inner West Council wants the State Government to foot the bill.
Labor Mayor Darcy Byrne said the sum was a “drop in the ocean” for the total cost of the motorway project.
In a statement, Roads and Maritime Services — which is not due to carry out traffic studies until 12 months after WestConnex opens — said it was “yet to receive advice from Inner West Council regarding their traffic study.”
PLANNED ROAD CLOSURES
Inner west roads where partial or full closures are proposed include:
ASHFIELD
- Ormond Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road.
- Chandos Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Henry Street to restrict traffic from Frederick Street
- John Street to restrict traffic from Frederick Road
HABERFIELD
- Chandos Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- O’Connor Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Sloane Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- O’Connor Street to restrict traffic from Ramsay Street
- Intersection of Learmonth Street and Dudley Street to restrict traffic from Mortley Avenue
LEICHHARDT
- On Upward Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- On George Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- On William Street to restrict traffic from Darley Road
- On Falls Street to restrict traffic from Darley Road
- On the four unnamed lanes between Falls Street and James Street to restrict traffic from Darley Road
- Intersection of Regent Street and Edith Street to break up the grid pattern and restrict through traffic
- On Flood Street to restrict traffic from the intersection of Allen Street and Flood Street
ANNANDALE
- Young Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Annandale Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Trafalgar Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Nelson Street to restrict traffic from Parramatta Road
- Breillat Street to restrict traffic from Pritchard Street
- Intersection of Annandale Street and Piper Street to break up the grid pattern and restrict through traffic
- Intersection of Annandale Street and Weynton Street to break up the grid pattern and restrict through traffic