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  4. 1 May 2003

The Spit Bridge Widening

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About this Item
SubjectsRoads; Traffic
SpeakersBarr Mr David
BusinessPrivate Members Statements


    THE SPIT BRIDGE WIDENING
Page: 220


    Mr BARR (Manly) [5.42 p.m.]: Recently the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] submitted to Manly and Mosman councils a Crown development application [DA] to widen The Spit Bridge by two lanes on the western side. Currently The Spit Bridge has four lanes, and the approaches each side comprise six lanes. The bridge is a point of constriction for the 70,000 vehicles that travel that length of roadway each day. Its widening will bring significant benefits. Currently, traffic in the contra peak-hour period—that is, in the afternoons—coming from Balgowlah heading south across the bridge is funnelled from nine lanes into one lane; that is, from the two sides of Sydney Road, from both Seaforth and Balgowlah, and from the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation. Traffic is then funnelled towards The Spit Bridge.

    In the afternoons only one lane is available for vehicles travelling south. The widening will bring immediate relief during that contra peak-hour flow, including relief for buses. The corridor from The Spit Bridge and along Military Road is a significant bus thoroughfare. In the morning peak, busses carry between 8,000 and 9,000 passengers per hour along Military Road; it is one of the busiest bus carriage routes in the country. An improvement is needed to that flow of traffic, and the widening of the bridge will be a significant improvement. The same can be said for the morning contra peak-hour for people driving north towards Manly. Only one lane is available for such traffic because three lanes on the bridge are dedicated for south-bound peak-hour traffic.

    Most significantly the bridge widening will improve the south-bound morning peak-hour traffic flow, because the nine lanes from Sydney Road and the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation funnel down to three lanes, one of which is a bus lane. The proposed widening will allow an increase in the peak-hour flow from three lanes to four lanes. In addition, I have suggested to the RTA that that peak-hour flow be carried as far as Spit Junction. If that were provided, there would be a significant improvement, a 50 per cent increase, in car lanes during the morning peak hour. I am delighted with this DA, it is a proposal I put to the Government about a year ago. Some people are still playing petty politics with this proposal, and there have been many mischievous suggestions about it.

    The Liberal Party election campaign brochure stated that the Norfolk Island pines along The Spit would be cut down if this proposal were approved. Totally and absolutely untrue! Not one tree will be lost; they will not be affected. The proposal is to widen the four-lane section of the bridge over the water; the trees are located along the six-lane section on the approaches to the bridge. Another mischievous suggestion is that there would be no access to Battle Boulevard. Once again, totally and completely untrue. This proposal will bring a very significant benefit with very little impact. The proposal will be of benefit to bus and motor vehicle users and it should be warmly accepted by both councils. Unfortunately, I do not believe that that will happen.

    I do not pretend that this proposal is a panacea for all northern beaches traffic problems, but this is the first time in almost 50 years that anything of such significance has been done. We need to look at improving the transport corridor problems on the northern beaches, and the bridge widening will be a key element in achieving that improvement. The people living on the Mosman side—and possibly some councils—may not be happy with the proposal, but the reality is that a major arterial road traverses the area and that situation will not change. We need to find ways of improving the traffic flow from the northern beaches area and getting traffic off Warringah Road with better connection to the Gore Hill Freeway and onto the M2, rather than continuing to accept this fetish that many people have of funnelling all the traffic through Manly. I welcome the proposal and urge both councils to embrace it.

    Private members' statements noted.
    The House adjourned at 5.47 p.m. until
    Tuesday 6 May 2003 at 2.15 p.m.

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