Armstrong Creek traders prepare for Surf Coast Hwy closure
Traders in Armstrong Creek are preparing to be hit hard by the upcoming closure of the Surf Coast Highway, as other options the government considered are revealed. TAKE OUR POLL.
Geelong
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Traders in Armstrong Creek are preparing to be hit hard by the upcoming closure of the Surf Coast Highway.
A small stretch of the busy highway, which carries about 29,000 vehicles a day, is set to close between February 9 and March 7, as the road is moved back into its original position under a recently installed railway bridge.
Businesses in the Armstrong Creek town centre and nearby are circumvented by recommended detour routes released by the state government, leading some traders to worry about the impact the closure will have on their business.
Mark Creelman, franchisee of Carl’s Jr, estimated the closure could slash customers stopping by the restaurant by “upwards of 40 and 50 per cent”.
“It’s dreadful, the timing is just dreadful,” he said.
“I’m a small-business owner, I own one restaurant and I’ve got a small number of staff that rely on me for their income.”
Another business the Geelong Advertiser spoke to said delivery services would be among those most affected by the closure.
The manager said the closure likely wouldn’t impact local customers, but it would impact delivery drivers and staff coming from Geelong.
A spokesman for Rail Projects Victoria said moving the highway in 2023 “saved locals six months of ongoing road closures”.
Mr Creelman said he understood the realignment needed to take place, but raised concerns about the degree of communication he’d seen.
“We (local businesses) are so insignificant, the care factor is zero,” he said.
According to the state government, it has been engaging with the management of Armstrong Creek Town Centre and other businesses along the highway to discuss detours and wayfinding during the closure.
Mr Creelman was told he’d be added to a mailing list for updates, however he said he has heard “nothing” since and relied on social media and road signs for news on the closure.
The Geelong Advertiser was told analysis was undertaken to identify how to return the highway to its final alignment while minimising impacts and reducing disruption.
Options considered included single or dual-lane closures.
It’s understood Rail Projects Victoria, the Djilang Alliance, the Department of Transport and Planning and Geelong council were involved in discussions.
According to the state government, options other than a full closure would have increased the length of disruptions to up to 14 weeks and caused excessive traffic queues and significant delays.
Traffic will be monitored during the closure’s first week to allow for adjustments to traffic light cycle times and reduce impacts to the network.
Concerns had also been raised about how ambulance response times would be impacted by the closure.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said the organisation has been working with the relevant agencies to ensure it can “continue to respond effectively to emergencies and serve the local community”.
Mr Creelman said he wanted to remind the community that Armstrong Creek businesses would remain open during the closure.
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