Traffic lights approved and hundreds of extra lots by 2040
Subscriber only
AS development to the north of town forges ahead, Councillors last night approved the first ever set of traffic lights for the Woolgoolga.
The lights will be located across from the $23m West Woolgoolga Sports Complex.
It's one of the biggest projects to ever come to the Woolgoolga and Northern Beaches region with construction to begin next year.
The project has been accelerated as a result of Federal and State Government funding and so preparatory work for an appropriate intersection in the area has been moved forward and is now due to start in this financial year.
RELATED: Premier in town to promise funds for local sports centre
In addition, the Woolgoolga North West Urban Investigation Area (WNW) has the potential to create 1,130 new residential lots. Current estimates suggest that around 285 homes would be developed by 2040 with a further 845 after 2040.
RELATED: Seaside 'village' buzzing with developments to the north
Construction of the new traffic light-controlled intersection for Solitary Islands Way and Centenary Drive is expected to begin in the latter half of 2021.
"The safety of pedestrians and other road users was a prime consideration in the preferred design," Council's Director Sustainable Infrastructure Mick Raby said.
"Critically, it would also provide the safest way for pedestrians and cyclists to move between the future Sports Complex, the Woolgoolga High School precinct and the existing cycle path along the eastern side of Solitary Islands Way."
The Sports Complex is expected to generate high numbers of school-aged visitors so safe walking and cycle connections are a priority.
"We engaged experts to look at the possibilities and they concluded that a traffic light-controlled intersection was the best option."
Other designs were considered, such as a roundabout, but it was felt that this was not the safest option for walking or cycling for large numbers, even if it could provide an adequate level of service for vehicles.
At their Thursday meeting Councillors agreed to allocate $576,000 of funding from Council's Plant Fund into this year's budget to allow preparatory works to begin.
The full cost of the new intersection is expected to be $5.26m, which will be borrowed but then recovered through relevant Developer Contributions generated by future subdivisions for residential homes.
