10 July 2014

The Mayors of Strathfield and Auburn are appealing to the State Government to upgrade the notorious bottle neck intersection of Arthur Street and Centenary Drive in Homebush West.

Strathfield Council has made repeated requests to local members of parliament and the RMS to investigate upgrades to the intersection and provide short and long term solutions to improve traffic flow at the intersection.

In 2011, Strathfield MP Charles Casuscelli announced that the then RTA (now RMS) had commenced investigations to identify options to improve traffic flow at the intersection of Arthur Street and Centenary Drive in Homebush West.

Traffic congestion at the intersection is common at all times of the day, with peak times causing huge delays, with westbound traffic on Arthur Street usually stretching back to Hampstead Road and other streets off Arthur Street congested as a result. On the Auburn side, traffic banks back toward Lidcombe, making a crossing of Centenary Drive at peak times a long process.

“The people of Strathfield endure traffic congestion on a daily basis as a result of this intersection. Anyone who drives through Strathfield or Lidcombe and needs to access Parramatta Road, the M4 or head north to Top Ryde cannot escape the issue. It’s a notoriously poor intersection and it’s only getting worse. The RMS must act,” Cr Bott said.

“Council has received assurances from the State Government and the RMS in the past that a solution will be implemented, but no commitment has been received.”

“This is one of the most congested intersections in Sydney – and there is no reason why it cannot be upgraded,” Auburn City Mayor Hicham Zraika said.

“The State Government is responsible for the maintenance of the main roads and highways of NSW and yet they have done nothing about this bottle neck. This is an issue that is affecting thousands of motorists and residents every day. Something has to be done soon.”