Intersection works not given green light until 2022

THE long-awaited traffic lights at an intersection in Torquay North will not start construction until some point in the new year, according to the Surf Coast Shire.

A fully signalised intersection at the junction of the Surf Coast Highway, Coombes Road and the extension of Rosser Boulevard has been part of the planning documents for the Quay 2 estate from the beginning.

The body responsible for building the intersection and installing the lights to create a new entrance to the estate has previously been in dispute.

The task initially fell to Quay 2 developer Intrapac, then the shire took over in February 2019, followed by the shire handing the task back to Intrapac in July 2019.

Following these negotiations, the shire estimated the intersection would be open by late 2021, but earlier this week, the shire’s general manager of governance and infrastructure John Bertoldi said this target would not be met.

“Council is working together with Intrapac – the developer of the Quay 2 estate – to commence works to install traffic lights on the Coombes Road-Rosser Boulevard-Surf Coast Highway intersection,” he said.

“The developer is finalising the design of the intersection and has undertaken the undergrounding of some powerlines at the site, in preparation for the road works.

“Given the intersection is on a Department of Transport-managed road (Surf Coast Highway), the department needs to approve the final plans.

“We expect tenders for works to go out in the New Year and construction to commence in 2022, with completion in 2023.”

Traffic flow in Torquay North has been a contentious issue in recent years.

The shire set up barriers in July 2020 to close Glengarry, Inshore, Marine and Centreside drives to vehicle traffic at the junction of The Quay and Quay 2 estates to temporarily re-create traffic conditions for residents in The Quay in place before development started in Quay 2.

The decision sparked instant backlash from some estate residents and Intrapac.

The shire originally planned to leave all roadblocks in place until the new intersection was complete, but announced in October 2020 new traffic data had led it to adopt a staged approach for their removal.

In December 2020, councillors supported the officers’ recommendation to carry out a new traffic study and modelling for Torquay North, but went beyond the proposal and resolved to also remove all three remaining barriers that month.