Tag: Wakehurst Parkway

Upgrades to Wakehurst Parkway Planned

About $75 million will be invested to improve safety and traffic flow at Wakehurst Parkway which will deliver upgrades to the 9.5-km stretch from Narrabeen to Frenchs Forest.

Read: Road Widening To Start Soon For Section Of Wakehurst Parkway

The funding is in addition to the $18.1 million already provided to the Northern Beaches Council for the flood mitigation project on Wakehurst Parkway. The new investment will deliver improved traffic signals at the Dreadnought Road intersection, upgrade the Oxford Falls Road West intersection, improve southbound lane capacity on approach to Frenchs Forest, and improve safety at Elanora Road

Upgrade to this section of Wakehurst Parkway will include localised widening and additional turning lanes to reduce crashes and improve the efficiency of the corridor.

“Sections of Wakehurst Parkway are some of the most dangerous black spots on the Northern Beaches, which is why we’re pressing ahead with our $75 million funding commitment,” Minister for Infrastructure Rob Stokes said.

Read: Developer Proposes Rapid Assessment Of New Mental Health Facility In Frenchs Forest

“These works will help reduce crashes, improve access to Northern Beaches Hospital, and save commuters time by improving the overall efficiency of the wider road network.”

Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward explained that Wakehurst Parkway is situated within an incredible bushland setting, “so these important safety improvements will be designed and delivered to minimise impacts on the local environment and community, with updates every step of the way.”

Also being undertaken are essential roadworks, including the asphalting of a 2.8-kilometre section of the road, which is funded through the NSW Government’s $147 million Greater Sydney State Roads Assets Restoration Program.

The first round of community consultation on the Wakehurst Parkway’s safety and traffic flow improvements is expected to take place in 2023.

Road Widening To Start Soon For Section Of Wakehurst Parkway

A section of Wakehurst Parkway will be widened to four lanes to reduce traffic congestion in the area and make it safer for motorists.

Read: Developer Proposes Rapid Assessment Of New Mental Health Facility In Frenchs Forest

Wakehurst Parkway, one of the most complained-about roads across the northern beaches, has witnessed a number of accidents and mishaps. Back in 2021, a serious collision in the area left two people seriously injured.

The $75-m road widening project will see the Parkway widened, in both directions, between the intersection with Dreadnought Rd at Oxford Falls, then south through the busy intersection with Warringah Rd to pass the intersection with Aquatic Dr at Frenchs Forest.Reducing Flood at Oxford Falls

wakehurst parkway
Photo credit: Change.org

After being presented with a flood mitigation feasibility study for Wakehurst Parkway, Council is now considering the next step for the project which involves progressing with detailed design and environmental assessments for reducing flooding at the Oxford Falls and Oxford Falls Road west sites.

This comes after Northern Beaches Council voted on 22 March 2022 to proceed with the detailed design and environmental assessments for the Oxford Falls site with a view to designs being completed by mid-2022 which will then allow construction to commence.

The Parkway north of Warringah Road is prone to flooding in certain areas and has historically experienced frequent road closures as a result. At present, this is up to six to seven times per year on average.

In the wake of March 2022 flooding, Oxford falls Road is closed between the Wakehurst Parkway and Aroona Road due to flooding.

oxford falls
Road closure in March 2022 (Photo credit: Live Traffic NSW/Facebook)

Initially, Wakehurst Parkway was deemed “not a priority,” with the mayor himself highlighting that it is a state road. He also added that the only way to permanently stop this road from flooding is to raise the road.

Community consultations revealed that while there is support for flood mitigation works, views diverged on the preferred method and the acceptability of the environmental impact.

“There is no doubt that Wakehurst Parkway closures are frustrating to motorists and we’d all like to see the flood issues fixed,” Mayor Regan said.  

“While a quick solution would be great, in the case of Wakehurst Parkway there is a lot of detail to consider along with environmental regulations and site constraints and multiple land ownership.”

Both federal and state funding will be used for the Wakehurst Parkway road widening project.