Long wait in Sutton St
The frustrating long wait – years, according to one adjoining resident – for a strip of busy Sutton St in Warragul to be reconstructed may be nearing an end.
But Peter Driessen who’s lived on Sutton St, between Bowen and Hope Sts, for 15 to 16 years is no stranger to delays.
Even after Baw Baw Shire council awarded a contract to reconstruct that section of the street and another, between Normanby and Davine Sts, last September and contractors posted a sign saying work would start on December 13, Mr Driessen is still waiting to see the first road construction machinery arrive.
Sure Constructions director David Muir said he was expecting work could finally start this week, stating the company had started first on the Normanby-Davine Sts section that required underground utility services to be moved.
That was good news to hear for Mr Driessen who said the road surface had been “shocking” ever since he moved there but all that had been done were patches to patches on the road that still has many potholes.
He said hopes were raised when the council received a Federal government grant in 2020 towards reconstructing the two sections of Sutton St.
But it was not until September last year that the $1.9 million contract was awarded.
Four months later Mr Driessen is still waiting for something to happen.
“It would be one of the busiest streets in Warragul”, he claimed, especially with the housing development that has occurred on the northern side of the town and with many people heading to work along Sutton St from as early as 5am with their vehicles making plenty of noise hitting the potholes.
Mr Muir said starting first on the other section under the contract, some staff absentees due to COVID and the Christmas-New Year holiday period had all been factors in the delayed start on the Bowen-Hope Sts stretch.