A long-awaited $8.3 million upgrade to Dunns Road has been pushed back by five months from its most recent estimated start date, with a council spokesperson confirming the project is expected to get underway in November this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"Designs for the upgrade are being finalised with construction planned to commence November 2021, weather permitting," a spokesperson said.
Residents and users of the notoriously dangerous road have been calling for an upgrade to the shortcut between the Olympic Highway and Holbrook Road, which currently alternates between dirt and sealed surfaces, for decades. Uranquinty Progress Association president Deb Bewick welcomed a firm start date for the project, but said continual delays have left the community sceptical.
"There's most definitely an attitude of, we'll believe it when we see it happening," Mrs Bewick said.
The upgrade, which will include the sealing of the whole road, intersection upgrades, speed limit signs and more, was confirmed in late 2019 to be completed by by mid-2021.
The project was later pushed to a June 2021 start date to be completed by late-2022. The new start date will see the project completed by mid-2023.
IN OTHER NEWS:
In its current state, the road is vulnerable to potholes and corrugation during poor weather. It is currently closed for maintenance after last week's rains caused extensive damage.
Dunns Road resident and long-time campaigner for a fix to the dangerous state of the road Wayne Lennon said he avoids using the stretch at all these days.
"We've had a windscreen done on it, I refuse to drive on it ... it's just too dangerous," Mr Lennon said.
Mr Lennon and Mrs Bewick agreed the road is not currently safe, and said the upgrade will improve things.
"It's never policed, the 4WDs use it as a drag strip, and a lot of other cars do as well," Mr Lennon said. "The 4WDs try to be "first to the dirt", they speed so they're not sitting in someone else's dust."
"It's one of those things, they call it a rat run - [drivers] can go there and nobody is looking so they push their way through it," Mrs Bewick said.
"Sealing the road will certainly improve safety," Mr Lennon said. "It would reduce the amount council spends each year on maintenance, and the bottom line is that lives potentially would be saved as well."
Mr Lennon's point is substantiated by council's fact sheet on the project which sites known deaths on the road in factors influencing the ultimate approval of the upgrade.
"A death occurred on Dunns Road in 2000," the fact sheet states. "A death had also occurred at the Holbrook/ Dunns Road intersection approximately 10 years prior. Many other serious injury incidents had also occurred at the two intersections and along Dunns Road itself."
Dunns Road is currently closed between 7am and 5pm on weekdays for repairs, with the road predicted to reopen on August 2.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters