As bridge construction nears end, focus turns to local impact

With only weeks to go until the official opening of the new Iron Cove bridge, local residents are relieved construction is about to cease – but concerns remain the inconvenience of the last nineteen months has not been worthwhile.

Business owners along new clearways in Rozelle and Drummoyne are expected to be the hardest hit, with increased parking restrictions during morning and afternoon peaks scheduled to take effect once the bridge opens.

Independent state candidate for Drummoyne Alex Elliott said the traffic changes would have a severe economic impact on local business owners.

“When the bridge opens, there will be no parking on either side of Victoria Road in the shopping centres, either in Rozelle or Drummoyne,” he said.

“That is going to be a very serious economic burden to small business operators in the area, because you won’t be able to get your supplies in, and your customers won’t be able to stop there in the morning or the afternoon peak.”

Residents are also expecting ongoing disruption from the bridge based on sound level tests which have indicated the noise level will increase substantially.

The RTA has acknowledged homes in the area will face significant increases in noise in coming years, and in some cases has spent up to $30,000 on soundproofing measures for affected residents along Victoria Road.

But Mr Elliott says the long-term effects of the bridge are not restricted to noise.

“There is some overshadowing of the pool and some problems with overshadowing of the Cove Café,” he said. “Most people wouldn’t really mind the construction or the noise if they thought it was going to be a really good piece of infrastructure which was going to improve transport in Sydney, but I don’t think it is.”

With the state election just weeks away, Mr Elliott anticipates the project will have a detrimental effect on the Keneally Government, with the negative consequences of the second bridge far outweighing the positive.

“I don’t think [commuters] will see any great benefit… it’s going to take a few minutes off the journey but there’s not going to be a great improvement.”

Balmain state Labor MP Verity Firth acknowledged residents’ concerns, but said the new busway would cut time off the journey of the estimated 200,000 bus commuters who use the bridge weekly.

She added the project would also provide other tangible benefits for the community.

“The Busway project will deliver a refurbished King George Park, with new play equipment for our growing younger population as well as new pedestrian and cycle paths linking with the Bay Run across the Iron Cove Bridge,” she said.

In a joint statement, the Shadow Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian and Liberal candidate for Drummoyne John Sidoti said not only was the project late and over budget, but it failed to meet the community’s needs.

Ms Berejiklian said she anticipated the project would “do nothing to ease the pain for motorists.”

“The project was supposed to be delivered by 2009 for $100 million, but it is now 2011 and the costs have blown out to $175 million.

“Unfortunately Labor’s incompetence means motorists and commuters will have even longer delays as the traffic funnels into fewer lanes on either side of the bridge.”

She added local residents should anticipate heavier traffic on residential streets, as cars attempted to avoid gridlock.

by Amy Kelly