Residents of two Albion Park streets are campaigning to have something done to alleviate the impacts of increased traffic coming past their homes.
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James Foreshew, who stays with his partner in O'Gorman Street about half the week, said the Albion Park Rail bypass was a "fantastic piece of infrastructure" but it also pushed traffic coming from Dapto, Shellharbour and Kiama to Calderwood and Tullimbar onto Tongarra Road.
Meanwhile, Mr Foreshew said, motorists trying to get to Mount Terry and the new developments around Daintree and Ashburton drives "use O'Gorman [Street] because Tongarra [Road] is so chocked up with traffic".
The traffic on O'Gorman road had at least quadrupled, he said, since the bypass was built. It is not just the volume of traffic causing concern, but the speed.
He said motorists regularly travelled well above the speed limit and speed humps on O'Gorman Street failed to slow vehicles down.
Mr Foreshew said residents of the area included older people and young families with children, but they had to take their mobility scooters and bicycles onto the roadway because the footpath did not stretch the entire length of the street.
A Tongarra Road resident said they had trouble getting in and out of their driveway when traffic built up, and it seemed a lot more vehicles were now getting held at the lights.
Mr Foreshew said a northbound slip road onto the East West Link that bypassed the Oak Flats interchange would help the situation.
He said this was because motorists coming from Shellharbour and Kiama took the local roads through Albion Park when heading to Calderwood and areas nearby, to avoid what he called "the worst roundabout in Australia".
Residents have also raised the Tripoli Way extension as a solution; construction on that project is scheduled to begin in 2025 and continue for two years.
Mr Foreshew said the infrastructure fixes were not immediate, so traffic safety measures were needed in the meantime.
"We're not going to fix the traffic straight away, but we can improve the safety of the people," he said.
Residents met with Kiama MP Gareth Ward this week to discuss their concerns.
He said he had arranged to meet with Shellharbour mayor Chris Homer next week and take him on a walk to discuss these issues and how he could work with the council to resolve them.
Mr Ward said he hoped the Tripoli Way extension could be brought forward as much as possible, to relieve pressure on Tongarra Road.
Shellharbour City Council acting chief executive officer Ben Stewart said the installation of a pedestrian crossing on O'Gorman Street would depend on whether an investigation showed that a high number of people crossed the road.
"To help minimise vehicle speeds along O'Gorman Street, council has installed two raised thresholds in accordance with the Local Area Traffic Management Guidelines," Mr Stewart said.
"Council has also implemented a four tonne load limit on both Stapleton Avenue and O'Gorman Street to discourage trucks from using these roads as a short cut."
He said Transport for NSW was investigating options to reduce delays for vehicles turning left from Tongarra Road onto Terry Street.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said it continued to monitor and review the operation of the Oak Flats interchange in response to feedback.
"A slip lane onto the East West Link was considered as part of early modelling and planning for the Albion Park Rail bypass and found to not have any significant benefits to the overall traffic performance at the interchange," they said.
They said Transport for NSW was also "investigating options to improve transport in the Illawarra region".
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
