On Friday morning, Member for New England Barnaby Joyce announced more than $1.1 million worth of extra road funding for the Armidale Local Government Area. The funding is for three projects within the shire and was warmly welcomed by Armidale Regional Council Mayor Simon Murray.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This is vital funding which will save lives on known black spots ...
- Barnaby Joyce
The highest priced project will be at the intersection of Trevenna Road, Elm Avenue and Booloomindah Drive, which will be upgraded with $592,274 worth of roundabout, including all traffic calming, line marking and lighting and signage.
Mr Joyce said that as a UNE graduate he knew how treacherous the intersection could be.
"This is a notorious intersection, which many young motorists negotiate every day travelling to and from classes, so this is welcome funding for the safety of those drivers," he said.
ALSO READ:
- Dicey emergency services call outs to Kempsey Road highlight the need for improvements
- Country Labor candidates meet with Lower Creek residents to discuss Kempsey Road
- Barnaby promises big spend on Kempsey Road as part of his plan for east-west corridors
- Lower Creek resident push hard for improvements to Kempsey Road
Another $26,440 was allocated to improvements at the intersection of Niagara and Donnelly streets for the installation of slow points and raised thresholds.
Funding for these two projects comes from the 2019/20 Black Spot Program. A further $500,000 for a Kempsey Road upgrade was announced by Mr Joyce under the government's Drought Communities Progam to assist in a council upgrade of a 2.3 kilometre section of Kempsey Road near Wollomombi.
"This is vital infrastructure funding that will help to keep the money spinning around town," Mr Joyce said.
Armidale Mayor Simon Murray said Kempsey Road had long been problematic for council.
"Any work that's done down there is going to be beneficial to that area," he said.
"We'll just chip away and chip away at that road. So, this $500,000 will be a piece that's part of the jig saw puzzle to providing a better road for the community, and for the wider community as well."
