END OF THE LINE: Learne Spicer believes Orange City Council has a long list of things to do to fix the north Orange bypass, including the road’s linemarking. Photo: STEVE GOSCH 0116sgroad
WHEN Learne Spicer and her family turned onto the north Orange bypass when driving back from their holiday they never expected to see two sets of headlights heading straight for their car.
Mrs Spicer said drivers were struggling to see the faded linemarking on the road and some were mistaking the single-lane bypass as a dual-carriageway.
She walks and drives on the bypass every day and the linemarking has capped off a list of complaints she has about the $17 million road since it opened in August.
“You can’t see any linemarking at all and at night it is even worse,” she said.
“It’s not even 12 months old and there is patching, the linemarking is disintegrating, and what happened to the 30 lights for the intersection?”
Orange City Council technical services director Chris Devitt said the council was aware the linemarking was a problem and would move ahead with temporary measures to fix the problem after hearing of Mrs Spicer’s incident.
He said the linemarking was wearing away because of problems with the road’s seal.
“I’ve seen it myself and I know it was a problem, but if we put linemarking down on that seal it will go the next day,” he said.
“It was put down in the cold weather with certain additives in the seal, and with this unseasonably hot weather it’s causing it to react.
“We’re looking at it with the experts.”
Mr Devitt said the key areas to be repaired were near the Mitchell Highway intersection, but the experts would look at the entire bypass.
Mrs Spicer also criticised the road’s surface and was concerned the slip road for vehicles exiting the bypass towards Lucknow was too short, forcing trucks travelling from Orange on the highway onto the painted median strip.
She believes the problems were caused because council rushed the multimillion-dollar project.
“They’ve built a fantastic distributor but they’ve not spend the money wisely, it’s shonky work,” she said.
Mr Devitt said the slip road was designed to Roads and Maritimes Services (RMS) standards but continued to be monitored.
Further along the bypass, the Leeds Parade roundabout is cause for concern for Mrs Spicer following Tuesday night’s truck accident.
She said the speed limits were inconsistent.
Mr Devitt said the council believed the roundabout’s construction was appropriate and was not the cause of recent accidents.
He said the council was looking at whether traffic was approaching the intersection at the right speed, but said it was too early to say if the speed limit could be lowered.
The review of the roundabout could include more signposting to ensure speed limits in the area were “logical, consistent and appropriate”, Mr Devitt said.
Mrs Spicer was also disappointed the council was yet to fix a dog leg at the Icely Road intersection when work was promised to start in September.
“I don’t want to drive out there one day and see a white cross of a family member or a friend I know because the RTA [RMS] or the council haven’t done anything about it,” she said.
Mr Devitt said the council had selected a contractor to reconfigure the Icely Road intersection and would start work on the dog leg in the next couple of weeks.
The project is expected to take about six weeks to finish.
Mr Devitt was unsure when the street lights promised for the Mitchell Highway intersection would be installed.
clare.colley@fairfaxmedia.com.au
