Maitland Business Chamber has ramped up its campaign for a west bound flyover near Maitland Railway Station calling on Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison to make it an election issue.
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Chamber president Matthew Bardwell said the business chamber will continue to drive its campaign with support from CBD business operators and retailers who have previously said the city’s peak hour highway gridlock is dividing the city.
The chamber said the one-way east-bound flyover has failed and claimed it has compounded existing traffic snarls on the already congested Cessnock Road by adding additional lanes to the network surrounding the railway station roundabout.
“It has created a dangerous rat run through Maitland Park and has divided the city in two,” a statement from the chamber read.
“Finish what you started. It’s time for Maitland residents to have the whole solution they deserve.”
The chamber continues to press Maitland City Council and the State Government to – “do what is necessary to ensure the job is finished and find a solution.”
Maitland City Council’s Manager Engineering and Design Kevin Stein said the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) is currently investigating options for the area in question.
“Maitland City Council will continue to assist and work with them where possible.”
A Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson said RMS is working with Maitland City Council to determine the most appropriate solution to traffic issues in the area.
Mr Bardwell said the Chamber will now make a point of lobbying Mrs Aitchison and the State Government reiterating how critical it is for the city’s traffic problems to be remedied.
Mrs Aitchison said Labor has a strong record on providing significant and effective road projects for Maitland including the the third river crossing and Metford rail underpass.
“The Liberal-National Government has showed consistent failures on road projects in Maitland,” she said.
“The Liberals and Nationals failed to complete the duplication of the rail bridge at Thornton and have failed to commence the $7million New England Highway duplication between Racecourse Road and Anambah Road at Rutherford promised in 2015.
“The Liberals and Nationals most significant roads failure has been the Railway Roundabout Overpass in Central Maitland. The business community is right to be angry with them.”
She said the project, which went over budget and took some six years to be delivered, was only ever going to be half a job and has effectively cut the city in two.
“I have been advocating since before I was elected in 2015 for the government to make sure this roundabout worked properly.
“I stand by my record in advocating strongly and in many cases successfully for improvements for all our roads in Maitland and the community can be assured I will continue to do so,” Mrs Aitchison said.
West Ward Henry Meskauskas said the situation is a disgrace for a city the size of Maitland.
“The government and RMS have no idea,” Cr Meskauskas said.
“There should have been a four-lane flyer at the least. The solution for all the traffic is an inner-city by-pass so that we will not be flooded and will be able to travel between west and east without blocking the CBD.
“The solution the RMS is going to come up with is not the answer and all you get there is no money for Maitland. What a joke.
“Maitland is the fastest growing regional city in NSW and we cannot get a cent from the state government,” he said.
Mr Bardwell said the flyover construction and associated works on roundabout feeder roads has cut the city in two.
“Commuters, unless absolutely necessary, are choosing to stay either east or west (of the city) rather than taking the risk of hitting extreme traffic at the intersection and heading into town,” he said.
The RMS was unable to get back to Fairfax Media for comment before press time on Thursday.
