“Everyone wins, the community and businesses," Mayor Dal Broi said.
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It’s hard to argue with the mayor on this one.
Griffith’s is unusual in that its location sits well off any major highways.
As a result, there’s never been a push for a city bypass – those arriving in Griffith aren’t generally on the way to anywhere.
However, heavy traffic has long been a problem in the CBD, so the Griffith Industrial Link Road has garnered almost unanimous support since the project was first announced.
Griffith City Council will receive funding of $5.9 million under the third round of the NSW Government's Fixing Country Roads program, which means a long-term issue is now well on the road to being addressed.
There’ll be better access for for truckies, less traffic for regular commuters and a greater emphasis on safety.
It will also no-doubt ease the pressure on rate payers in the long term thanks to more viable road infrastructure preserving Griffith’s busiest roads.
The city’s bumpy and degrading Irrigator Way eastern entrance and exit point may finally get the respite it needs to justify an upgrade, rather than just short-term maintenance.
And intersections and roundabouts could no longer be as much a source of driver frustration without the heaviest of vehicles being involved.
Reshaping the way the city gets from one place to another will have other positive fallout effects well into the future, beyond the state of our roads.
An important point was raised during the media opportunity with council and Member for Murray Austin Evans at Tuesday’s big funding announcement – where will all the trucks park within Griffith now there’s a bypass?
Council said responsibility to provide such amenities lies elsewhere, but also suggested private enterprise may see the potential issue as an opportunity.
It’s a fantastic example of how a regional council can also provide potential solutions without needing to hand feed its residents.
Griffith is a city full of opportunistic entrepreneurs.
If there’s a scope for a monster-sized roadhouse along the city’s brand new bypass, someone will no doubt jump at the opportunity.
What do you think? Send a letter to the editor to ben.jones@fairfaxmedia.com.au
