Wahroonga: Residents fight Pacific Hwy construction compound on Sydney’s north shore
Residents are rallying against plans to turn two properties on the upper north shore into a construction compound for Pacific Hwy upgrade works amid concerns over noise, truck movements and safety impacts on surrounding homes and schools.
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A construction compound to support major upgrade works on the north shore’s busiest highway has sparked backlash from surrounding homeowners in the residential area.
Roads and Maritime Services is the process of turning two single storey homes at 100–102 Fox Valley Rd, Wahroonga into a site compound to facilitate Pacific Hwy upgrades between Turramurra and Wahroonga over the next two years.
The compound will include storage areas for construction materials and equipment, a site office, sheds and carparking spaces for workers.
Demolition plans for 100 Fox Valley Rd show the project will include site remediation to remove traces of asbestos within the existing home.
Once up and running in November, the compound will be accessed by heavy construction vehicles including tipper trucks and up to 30 quarry delivery vehicles dropping-off materials each day.
Neighbouring resident Ashley Johnston fears the project would lead to noise, congestion and safety impacts for surrounding homeowners and nearby schools.
“We’ve been given 10 days’ notice that for the next two years there’ll be a compound (on our street) that will run night and day with no consultation,” he said.
“There are multiple primary school and high school children using the bus stops outside the compound and KU Fox Valley preschool next to the site.
“The (site) is zoned as Environmental Living – how does a roadworks compound satisfy these requirements?”
An RMS spokeswoman said trucks would make deliveries directly to the project site where possible to reduce the number of vehicles onsite.
“Where this is unavoidable, deliveries will be made to the compound during standard daytime work hours or outside of peak periods using existing driveway access points,” she said in a statement.
“Trucks using the compound will use smart style reversing alarms to reduce noise and a noise measuring device will be in place to ensure the compound is compliant with predicted noise levels.
“Transport for NSW will continue to work closely with the community to address noise, traffic and congestion concerns as the project progresses.”
Plans show upgrade works on the highway include widening the thoroughfare into three continuous northbound lanes to ease congestion for the 60,000 motorists using the roadway each day.
Traffic changes outlined in the upgrade include banning right-hand turns on Coonanbarra Rd and Finlay Rd from the Pacific Hwy, and right-hand turns into the highway from Redleaf Ave and Marshall Ave.
RMS said early works on the highway would be conducted during 70 night shifts and 88 day shifts until January.
Upgrades at the intersection of Finlay Rd would be bankrolled by $240 million in Federal and State Government funding to “congestion-busting” projects aimed at stimulating jobs in response to the COVID‑19 outbreak.
Transport for NSW said it intends to sell the site of the construction compound after work is completed in late 2022.