A Goulburn resident has questioned whether more than $400,000 in government funding for intersection improvements could be better spent.
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Barry McDonald said he couldn't fathom why the Kinghorne/Albert Street intersection was last month awarded $416,860 in blackspot funds to build a one-lane roundabout. He says he's not the only one asking questions.
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"I have lived in Goulburn for 24 years and I often use this intersection myself," he said.
"I have never found any danger or issue with it. I have never seen any aftermath or remnants of any accident there."
However the council has stood behind the funding, saying the area had a "significant crash history."
As a volunteer driver for the Southern NSW Local Health District, Mr McDonald said he often used the intersection and observed there were rarely more than three cars waiting on Albert Street to cross Kinghorne Street. Mornings, around 9am, were the busiest but still, there was little congestion, he argued.
He suggested the money would be better allocated to the nearby Kinghorne/Fitzroy Street t-intersection, including improved alignment.
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"(This could be) redesigned with basic left and right turn lanes in Fitzroy Street into Kinghorne and the addition of a left turn lane out of Kinghorne into Fitzroy," Mr McDonald said.
"There is plenty of land to do this and it would only require resuming a small section of the public open space and (part of the) Goulburn High School farm and shifting some existing infrastructure, such as power poles. No private property would be affected."
He maintained that the t-intersection experienced busy time morning and afternoon with school and work traffic but waiting times were still acceptable.
Nevertheless, Mr McDonald argued local residents would appreciate these improvement works more than an the Albert/Kinghorne Street roundabout.
However, a council spokesman told The Post in July that the latter intersection had "poor sight lines from all directions" and that three significant crashes had occurred there in the past five years.
Crash data, other traffic incidents and danger are taken into account when applying for the blackspot funds.
On Friday, the spokesman said the application was not based on staff opinion but statistics which showed the intersection had seen a number of significant car crashes.
"The program is funded by federal and state government and is reactive, with a focus on fixing locations which have seen numerous crashes," he said.
"Crashes which result in a fatality or casualty (where someone involved in the crash is transported to hospital) are deemed a significant crash under the Blackspot Program. There were four significant crashes at this intersection over the five-year period for which the grant application was made."
As for Mr McDonald's claim that Fitzroy Street would be a better recipient, the council spokesman pointed out it was a State Road under the authority of Transport for NSW.
In the same round, the council was also awarded $1.37m for improvements to a 3.5km section of Jerrara Road. This work would add to $1.78m in repairs which the council at its meeting on Tuesday insisted Multiquip Quarries undertake.
Operations director Matt O'Rourke said the Roads to Recovery funds would improve bends on a section beyond the Prairie Oak Road intersection.
Design work for both projects will occur this financial year, with construction to take place in 2022/23.
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