Whether it’s raising Cessnock Road or an alternative solution that attracts community support doesn’t make a lot of difference – as long as we get a viable fix soon.

While the most obvious solution would be to raise the road, ultimately this campaign is looking for an effective way for motorists to get where they need to when Cessnock Road is out of action because of floodwater, which has happened twice in the past nine months.

Maitland deputy mayor Bob Geoghegan says he doubts Cessnock Road will be raised.

He has suggested an alternate route could be built through proposed residential developments at Testers Hollow, which could cater for heavy vehicles and increased traffic when Cessnock Road goes under.

But with the development of the land still at the rezoning stage, this solution could be years away.

Cr Geoghegan says approval and construction of the road could be fast-tracked ahead of the rest of the development to provide the route in an ­estimated three to four years. But such a plan has a lot of moving parts.

While it would likely be cheaper to build an alternate route, the idea that Cr Geoghegan has backed relies on good will and co-operation from ­stakeholders including the state government, the developers as well as Maitland and Cessnock councils. It would also hinge on funding applications.

It’s worth considering all possibilities and continue debating which outcome would be in the community’s best interest.