The finishing touches are underway after a roundabout opened last week at a traffic hotspot.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The roundabout at the intersection of Hastings River Drive and Newport Island Road opened to traffic on November 2.
Work on the project started in March 2018.
The roundabout construction was a project in two halves, with the northern half of the project done first, followed by the southern portion of the work.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, leading up to the project, stressed the end result would be a much safer intersection, designed to handle the expected increase in traffic as the population continued to grow.
The project also included landscaping and street lighting.
A nearby resident believes time will tell how effective the roundabout is.
“This is only the first week it has opened so we will see what happens,” the resident said.
He believes the roundabout will be better than if traffic lights were installed at the intersection.
The resident is calling for more speed signs along Newport Island Road and safety improvements at the Newport Island Road and Bay Street intersection.
Another resident, who lives not far from the Hastings River Drive and Newport Island Road roundabout, remains unconvinced about the roundabout’s value.
She would have preferred traffic lights at the intersection which she believes would have resulted in a better flow of traffic coming from Newport Island Road.
“We had a lot of horns honking on Friday after it opened,” the resident said.
“People in this town just don’t know how to use roundabouts, and there are so many roundabouts here, so I think education on roundabouts really needs to be stepped up.”
She said the roundabout construction phase was well handled.
More than 18,000 vehicles a day travel along Hastings River Drive.
Nearby businesses looked forward to the roundabout’s opening as changed traffic conditions during the construction took a toll.
What else is making news?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.