Bridge, ring road up for discussion
DUBBO MP Troy Grant has said that the push for Dubbo’s third bridge originally stemmed from the floods of 2010, and that a ring road for the city was not impossible in the future.
Addressing concerns expressed by Dubbo Regional Mayor Ben Shields across local media, Mr Grant said that the move towards flood-proofing Dubbo had actually originated with the former Dubbo City Council, of which Mr Shields was a representative.
“The need to have the second flood crossing bridge came about after the Stapleton Report and Dubbo City Council’s 2045 Transport Strategy,” Mr Grant told Dubbo Photo News.
“They adopted that plan in 2012.”
The River St Bridge, which the State Government is funding with an estimated budget of $140 million, was the concept chosen from six options after considerable consultation.
“It emerged out of Council that River St was an option,” Mr Grant said.
“In the 2015 State Election, there was some commitment made for a duplicate of the LH Ford Bridge. That was pushed by former mayor Mathew Dickerson.
“However, when the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) conducted a study of that option, it wasn’t entirely feasible for that to be a working solution.”
As far as traffic flow is concerned, Mr Grant said that it would have made the junction of the Newell and Mitchell highways a nightmare.
During 2016-17, the RMS then considered bridge alternatives.
“They did an extensive survey which included community consultation and they found that River St was the best option. In June 2017, the Premier announced $140 million to the second flood crossing.”
In order to make plans for a ring road around the city, Mr Grant said a feasibility study would need to be conducted first and foremost.
“It hasn’t been properly examined, but it needs to be.”
Mayor Ben Shields did not respond to a request for comment in this story but was recorded on local radio last week saying that the River St Bridge crossing was absurd, labelling it as the “bridge to nowhere”.
“River St will not take any extra cars from Whylandra Street at all. What we’re saying to the RMS is that they need to look at our Stapleton Report and come to the party there when it comes to appropriate ring roads. We need to build the ring road around the city.”
Mayor Shields indicated that Council has plans to survey the community again regarding their preference.
Mr Grant said that the River St Bridge and a future ring road was not an either/or situation for Dubbo. He described Mr Shields actions as ‘unhelpful and uninformed’, stating that he was not being sincere and was playing a game of political popularity.