RUMOURS are rife that traffic lights could be installed at opposite ends of the busy Gobbagombalin Bridge, causing concern among some motorists.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The upgrade of the Olympic Highway intersections at Old Narrandera Road and Travers Street is currently being looked at by Transport for NSW, which hopes to improve safety and ease congestion in the areas.
There is growing speculation that the solution will be the installation of traffic lights at both intersections.
Estella resident Graeme White, who crosses the Gobba Bridge multiple times every day, said the Old Narrandera Road intersection was a "fatality waiting to happen," but traffic lights solved only one problem while amplifying another.
As the fastest growing suburb in Wagga, Mr White said a solution for the congestion and safety issues was needed, but doubts if traffic lights are the answer.
In other news:
"A lot of drivers, especially the university students, get trapped when they go to merge and the traffic goes right up behind them and they freeze. You can't blame them. It is very daunting for the young drivers," he said.
"It is a bottleneck and it's terrible ... [lights] are just going to make the traffic stop and bank up even more."
Wagga councillor Paul Funnell said he "had reservations" that residents would be happy should the outcome be the installation of traffic lights.
Cr Funnell said he would be "vehemently and strongly objecting" to the "ludicrous" idea of traffic lights at either end of Gobba Bridge.
"Traffic lights are not the answer, you are meant to keep traffic flowing," he said.
"All traffic lights, in my 40 years of driving, do in that situation is create great, big car parks. Further, I still think there would be safety issues ... with increased traffic coming down the flyover."
Cr Funnell said the plans need to show foresight rather than resorting to "lazy designs and the cheapest option" to make the problem go away.
Estella resident Paul Schneider said the idea would "blow out" existing banked up traffic even more so.
"I don't see how it would improve congestion. We need an overpass at Old Narrandera Road," he said.
Transport for NSW has not confirmed if it will propose traffic lights at the highway intersections.
South West director Lindsay Tanner said they understand the challenges the community faces at each intersection, as well as the community's wish to improve road safety at both sites. He said the feedback received during the submission period was being "actively incorporated" into the design options, which will be released in the coming weeks.