CREATIVE: One of the proposed intersection changes at the intersection of Illaroo Road and the Princes Highway.
A SERIES of concept plans have been made public showing some creative solutions to the congestion at the intersection of Illaroo Road and the Princes Highway.
The plans were developed for Shoalhaven City Council by consultants SMEC in 2007.
They include massive fly-overs, roundabouts and even the possible closure of the eastern end of Illaroo Road at the highway.
The briefing states that the intersection arrangements alone don't satisfy the project objectives of the North Nowra Bomaderry Link Road, but were considered as part of a link road study.
The proposals start with the addition of extra lanes at the traffic lights, on the northern side and the southern side of Illaroo Road, which would reduce queuing on Illaroo Road.
One fly-over proposal would see North Nowra motorists heading into Nowra, take a bridge over the top over the highway, curve around the back of Bryce’s dairy farm on the eastern side of the highway, and start their southbound journey near the river.
Another fly-over concept would see the eastern end of Illaroo Road being blocked off at the highway, and a roundabout near the intersection of the turnoff to the golf club.
The northern end of the roundabout would lead to a new bridge over Bomaderry Creek and the highway, curving through Bryce’s dairy to rejoin the highway near the river.
Allowance was made in that proposal of a possible future link into the Nowra CBD by a third river crossing to come off the southern side of the roundabout.
On the southern side of the river, there were plans to stop the right turn from the highway onto Bridge Road.
The move also includes shutting access from Pleasant Way onto the highway, redirecting traffic up through Hawthorne Avenue and providing access to the highway opposite the council administrative building.
Shoalhaven Mayor Joanna Gash said something has to be done about the traffic problems at the Illaroo Road and Princes Highway intersection.
“We want to look at our options,” she said.
“Some of the proposals are certainly out there.
“Council has decided to put the proposals, and that’s all they are proposals, on display for the community to have a look at and comment.
“We still need further briefings on the plans and need to get some definite costing.
“We would like to hear what the community thinks.”
She said the proposals go back to the Nowra Bomaderry Structure Plan and that council was still looking at option four for the North Nowra Bomaderry Link Road from West Cambewarra Road to Moss Vale Road.
“That was an option we weren’t told about when we decided on the parallel West Cambewarra Route,” she said.