Calls to upgrade intersections along Old Windsor Rd, Winston Hills
Long-suffering motorists continue to crawl along a notorious stretch of road in northwest Sydney despite calls to fix the strain of more than 68,000 traffic movements daily.
Longer traffic queues at an intersection of a notoriously congested arterial road in Sydney have prompted more scrutiny from the tens of thousands of motorists who use it daily and calls from a council to upgrade the site.
Parramatta Council is driving up pressure on the state government to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Old Windsor Rd, Caroline Chisholm Drive, and Powers Rd at Winston Hills – where about 68,000 car movements were recorded on November 5 followed by 67,000 the following day.
Councillor Georgina Valjak said changes to traffic light phasing could be to blame for the longer traffic queues at that intersection because signals would favour bus movements and slow down other vehicles.
In June last year, Transport for NSW introduced phasing for buses on route 665 at the Caroline Chisholm Drive-Old Windsor Rd intersection.
“It’s important to note that traffic movements along this major stretch of road travel all the way to James Ruse Drive,’’ Cr Valjak said.
“These are major arterial roads that are causing immense angst to local communities.’’
She said other intersections along Old Windsor Rd, including Gibbon Rd-Fitzwilliam Rd and Abbott and Fitzwilliam roads at Seven Hills, were also experiencing longer queues.
She said at nearby Briens Rd, Northmead – 90m from Old Windsor Rd – there was an average of 82,681 traffic movements daily.
The council will write to NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison to reverse the recent changes to traffic signal timing.
It has also sought Transport for NSW to upgrade the Caroline Chisholm intersection by providing three lanes in both directions on Old Windsor Rd.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said the organisation continually reviewed Old Windsor Rd’s performance and had made improvements over the past 16 months to mitigate congestion.
“Sydney’s northwest is a key growth area with major development spanning the Blacktown, Hills District and Hawkesbury local government areas,’’ he said.
“This growth places pressure on key routes in the road network such as Old Windsor Rd, especially during peak periods.
“Transport for NSW is looking at further options to address congestion along Old Windsor Rd and will keep the community informed of any developments.’’
The spokesman said TfNSW had also received federal government funding to investigate congestion along Old Windsor Rd between Kellyville and Northmead and a business case would be developed as part of that.
“The investigation will consider options to upgrade and widen sections of the road corridor to help reduce travel times, ease congestion and support the growing number of residents in this region,’’ he said.
Cr Valjak also called for traffic-counting devices to be reinstalled at the Hammers Rd-Old Windsor Rd intersection where data was collated until 2021.
The TfNSW spokesman said the business case would also look to boost traffic counter coverage across the network.
Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System detectors at Powers, Fitzwilliam, Hammers and Gibbon roads have continued to provide ongoing data on traffic volumes at the locations.
There were about 76,000 vehicle movements at the intersection of Old Windsor and Hammers roads on November 5 and 77,000 the day after.
Last year, The Hills Shire Council compiled a list of key infrastructure needed for the Bella Vista – Kellyville Transport Oriented Development precinct.
That included widening Old Windsor Rod from Celebration Drive to Windsor Rd to three lanes in each direction.
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Originally published as Calls to upgrade intersections along Old Windsor Rd, Winston Hills
