Mona Vale Rd upgrade: Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby lobbies Premier Chris Minns to restart work on black spot upgrades
A new northern beaches MP has breathed life back into a campaign to restart work on a notorious traffic black spot, convincing Premier Chris Minns to visit the site of unfinished upgrades.
Manly
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A new northern beaches MP has breathed life back into a campaign to restart work on a notorious traffic black spot, warning it is “only a matter of time before we have a fatality”.
Jacqui Scruby, the recently elected independent state MP for Pittwater, convinced Chris Minns to visit the site of the unfinished $340m upgrade of Mona Vale Rd (West) on Saturday, when the premier was in the area.
In the lead-up to her October by-election victory, Ms Scruby pledged to lobby the state government to complete safety improvements to the road used by about 40,000 vehicles a day.
Her pledge followed the government confirming, in September last year, it had put the project on the backburner for at least two years even though money for the 3.4km upgrade — a four-lane carriageway from McCarrs Creek Rd, Terrey Hills, to Powder Works Rd, Ingleside — had been set aside in the 2022 state budget by the previous Coalition government.
The roadworks were halted despite the completion of the adjoining four-lane upgrade project — Mona Vale Rd (East), from Ingleside to Mona Vale.
In August, this masthead reported soil and debris blowing from the deferred work site had sparked safety concerns for motorists.
Before the deferral, contractors had managed to build a massive earthworks bank, stretching about 950m south from Tumburra St, Ingleside.
But grit and other material was now making the existing two-way accident black spot even more dangerous for drivers, according to a project insider.
Road crash data collected by Northern Beaches Council staff showed that on the stretch of Mona Vale Rd that runs through the local government area, there were 448 accidents – 217 causing injury and eight resulting in deaths – between 2010 and June 2024.
Ms Scruby urged Mr Minns the visit the unfinished upgrade site while he was on a scheduled visit to open the revamped Shortees “pitch and putt” par 3 golf course at Terrey Hills.
She said since her election, she had met with the premier and Roads Minister John Graham, advocating for Mona Vale Rd West to be prioritised.
The new MP has also started a new ‘finish Mona Vale Rd” petition, calling for work to begin immediately.
“The single lane in each direction doesn’t just cause traffic congestion, it is dangerous and it’s only a matter of time before we have a fatality,” Ms Scruby said.
“I wanted the premier to see the mess we have been left with and to understand the risks.
“I do appreciate the premier making time to visit the Mona Vale Rd site for the first time.
“It’s a very small step, but it’s in the right direction.
“The whole community is fed up and wants to see confirmation the project will be completed.
“It’s my job to fight for it.”
Mr Graham confirmed on Tuesday that while the Mona Vale Rd (West) project had been deferred, transport officials were finalising its design.
“Once detailed design is complete, a formal investment decision on the project’s final scope and cost can be made,” he said.
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