Port Macquarie-Hastings Council boost for Lake Road

CONSTRUCTION of much-needed improvements on a stretch of Lake Road will start early next year.

A roundabout will be built at the intersection of Lake Road and Blackbutt Road and a median strip added in Lake Road, from the roundabout at Blackbutt Drive to the east of the Chestnut Road intersection, in an $800,000 project.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council accepted $400,000 funding from the state government, which the council will match dollar for dollar.

Cr Rob Turner said the $400,000 from the state government was very welcome.

"We as a council have no alternative but to accept this," he said.

"Safety and road traffic accidents are something we should do everything we possibly can to mitigate against."

Cr Turner said the council should get on with the project as quickly as possible so it could hopefully reduce accidents and make it safer to travel along Lake Road.

Design work is underway and will be complete by the end of the calendar year, with construction to start early next year.

Council's group manager infrastructure delivery Gary Randall said the timing of construction would be confirmed at the completion of the detailed design and approvals stage.

"A tentative estimate at this point would be six to eight months, but this would be very much dependent on the scale of service relocations required and the finer details of the design," he said.

Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce board member Kellon Beard said the project would make a big difference to the industrial area.

"It will create a better flow of traffic and make it a lot easier for people that work there to move around the industrial area and it will hopefully cut back on the accidents," he said.

Mr Beard said Lake Road was one of the busiest areas of Port Macquarie at times.

"At particular times of the day, it's an absolute nightmare to try to get in and out of, and hopefully this is one way to alleviate some of that," he said.

The area of Lake Road earmarked for the work carries about 22,0000 vehicles on a typical weekday and is expected to get even busier into the future.

Men at Work general manager Ross Cargill said the $800,000 project was a step ahead, and most importantly it should increase the safety for our staff, our families and all users of Lake Road.

Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams said she was pleased the council voted to accept the $400,000 in state government funding and she, like so many other motorists, looked forward to seeing the start of these works.