How 140,000 motorists will be affected by Northern Beaches Hospital roadworks
VIDEO: Extra police on motorbikes, more CCTV cameras and tow trucks waiting to remove broken-down cars are part of a raft of measures to keep traffic moving as work ramps up on roads linked to the new Northern Beaches Hospital.
Manly
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EXTRA police on motorbikes, more CCTV cameras and tow trucks waiting to remove broken-down cars are part of a raft of measures to keep traffic moving as work ramps up on roads linked to the new Northern Beaches Hospital.
The moves come as changes to traffic lanes in Warringah Rd at Frenchs Forest — beginning this weekend — add to congestion and delays for 140,000 motorists in coming months.
But senior Roads and Maritime Services and Transport NSW officials told the Manly Daily yesterday drivers would start to see gradual improvement from July when Frenchs Forest and Naree roads returned to two-way traffic.
Motorists will have to wait until at least the end of 2019 before the entire upgraded network is finished.
The State Government was originally hoping to have it completed by early next year but RMS said it had to contend with complex utility relocations and adjustments, discovering unknown services and utilities during work as well as changes to the amount of night work it was allowed.
In its latest community update newsletter, RMS said work on the congested road network had reached “peak capacity” and would continue to disrupt traffic and increase journey times, especially in peak periods, “through the year”.
RMS’s Sydney executive director John Hardwick said yesterday that work had started on the 1.3km Warringah Rd underpass and construction was well under way on roads into the hospital in time for its opening in late October.
Mr Hardwick said the road project was now moving into the next stage of work that would permanently change the way motorists travelled around the new hospital.
“Traffic will be moved on to three new westbound lanes between Rodborough Rd and Fitzpatrick Ave from this Saturday morning,” he said. “Moving traffic on to these lanes will allow crews to rebuild the eastbound lanes and start preparing to work on the underpass later in the year.”
Traffic will also be delayed due to changes to the right-turn lanes from Warringah Rd into Forest Way.
From Saturday there will be two turning lanes instead of three with traffic queues expected to lengthen.
Mr Hardwick said heavy traffic conditions were expected around Frenchs Forest in coming months, with the heaviest during the morning and afternoon weekday peaks periods and on Saturdays.
“We are asking motorists to plan their trips in advance, travel outside peaks if possible and really try to stay away from Warringah Rd as much as possible.”
Transport for NSW said that to help traffic run smoothly tow trucks would be stationed along Warringah Rd, at least for the next two weeks; more police would be present, including the police Motorcycle Response Team; more CCTV cameras would be installed and traffic light phasing would be monitored
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
Traffic from existing westbound lanes in Warringah Rd will transfer to three new lanes from early Saturday
Temporary lane closures on Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Rd from 8pm Friday to 5am Saturday
Hilmer St will temporarily change, from 8pm Friday to 5am Saturday, to allow left in/left out traffic only at Warringah Rd
There will be only one right turning lane from Warringah Rd into Forest Way and no turning lane from Forest Way into Warringah Rd from 6pm on Saturday to 8am Sunday