Council Change Overpass Location

AT last week’s meeting of the Upper Hunter Shire Council, Councillors voted to change the location of the overpass from Kelly Street to Muffett Street, near the sale yards.

Options scoped by the Roads and Maritime Services two years ago included Kelly Street, St Aubin’s Street and Sherwood Street: see maps below story.

Muffett Street is a new option proposed by Council and changes their original position of having the overpass at Kelly Street near Elizabeth Park.

The Muffett Street option is the most expensive option with the estimated costs on each option as follows:

• Muffett Street – $31 million;
• Sherwood Street – $25 million;
• Kelly Street – $23.5 million and
• St Aubin’s Street – $16.5 million.

The reason given for the change in location was to be more convenient for trucks using the sale yards on Tuesday and accessing the abattoir and remove more trucks from the town centre.

Councillors Lee Watts and Sue Abbott voted against the move, saying the overpass would not solve the primary issue of the community waiting at boom gates for coal trains.

Lee Watts, who originally secured the funding for a rail overpass in 2013, said she was disappointed in the decision to move the overpass to the saleyards.

“Nothing will change the people stuck waiting at the boom gates will continue to wait there, so nothing will improve for them,” said Cr Watts.

“People won’t drive out to Muffett Street to use the overpass there, by that time the train would have gone,” she said.

“Personally I still don’t support Muffett Street, the reasoning for an overpass was because of the town being cut in two and it still will be,” she said.

“I still feel we need an overpass in the central part of town that people can use,” she said.

Sue Abbott who opposes the bypass and preferred a rail underpass said Muffett Street was set to be a white elephant.

“I just didn’t feel it would serve the town well,” said Cr Abbott.

“I always wanted an underpass and that was in the mix when we first started this whole exercise and we could have put the trains under and people say it’s very difficult, but the feasibility study was done and we’ve put tunnels under harbours, so it’s not exactly difficult,” she said.

“I was worried about an overpass going over near the mare and foal, but in retrospect I wish we’d have gone with that,” she said.

“With regards to Muffett Street it could turn out to be a white elephant, I mean is it the most appropriate and useful place for the people of Scone?” she questioned.

“It’s kind of pointless where it is going, it is benefiting one small group of users and not in the best interest of the entire Scone community,” Sue Abbott said.

Related story: Editorial: White Elephant for Blue Horse.

Option A: Rail bridge at St Aubin’s street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Features:

• Delivers traffic from the bypass access directly to Kelly Street;
• No through road created on Guernsey Street;
• Creates another major intersection at Kelly street, with the traffic management at the intersection not identified in the plan.

Option B: Rail bridge at Kelly Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Features:

• Already a well-used thoroughfare for in town traffic;
• Designed to allow trucks to continue to exit Muffett Street;
• Muffett street to be extended through Elizabeth Park;
• Road for the heavy vehicles to encircle the Park which could impact usability and safety in the Park.

Option C: Rail bridge at Sherwood Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Features:

• Convenient access for heavy vehicles using the rail bridge;
• Inconvenient access for in-town use by residents;
• Increased vehicle movements through Main Street, Waverly Street, Sydney Street and Phillip Street.

 

Related Stories:

• Editorial: Opportunity Rolling Away – August 22, 2017.
• Overpass in Limbo – July 10, 2017.
• Bypass to Begin, Overpass Stalled – June 5, 2018.
• Build the Overpass – March 2, 2017.
• Overpass No Further Ahead – July 20, 2016.
• Joel Angry Overpass Not Built – April 15, 2016.
• Emergency Services Annoyed with the RMS – February 19, 2016.
• Editorial: Do You Want A Rail Overpass? – February 16, 2016.
• First Feedback on Designs – January 22, 2016.
• Speak Now – January 21, 2016.
• Park Ruined and No Access – January 20, 2016.
• Trucking Ahead with Plans – January 15, 2016.
• Council Frustrated by RMS – January 11, 2016.
• Rail Bridge Options – January 10, 2016.