Problems plague Avalon Shared Zone construction
A Northern Beaches councillor has revealed Council staff will seek a report from an independent engineer into the construction of the Avalon Shared Zone, after the project was plagued by several issues during the Christmas/ New Year period.
While works related to the trial of a shared pedestrian zone in Avalon Beach were due to be completed in December, several issues during construction saw significant delays, causing disruption for locals and road flooding.
As such, works including the installation of shade structures along Old Barrenjoey Road were yet to be completed by mid-January, with construction likely to finish this month – weeks later than planned.
Pittwater Ward Councillor Miranda Korzy told Peninsula Living the implementation of the project had been ‘a disaster’.
She said mistakes made during the laying of the bitumen resulted in large pools of water threatening to flood businesses near the intersection of Old Barrenjoey Road and Avalon Parade over the summer holiday period.
“The timing has been atrocious, then there have been problems with the road design and with flooding, and the whole thing still isn’t finished,” Cr. Korzy said in January.
“The first time the bitumen was laid, it was laid like a normal road with normal camber, but it was meant to have a dip in the middle. Then they cut back and relayed the bitumen, but we still had a lake in the middle of Old Barrenjoey Road.
“Then they did it again, and it still wasn’t draining properly. So, what’s going on there?”
She said the timing of the construction was ‘atrocious’, coinciding with holiday traffic and causing significant delays for locals and visitors to the area.
“Because it was so close to Christmas, once there were problems, they couldn’t get the contractors in to do the work.”
Cr. Korzy said while the traffic issues had largely resolved come January, ‘it was hard to know if the flow had improved or if more people were shopping elsewhere to avoid the intersection’.
“It still looks a bit daggy down there, with bitumen that should have been painted. It’s not exactly an attractive area for people to go and sit at the moment.”
Works to address the stormwater flooding were undertaken by contractors in mid-January.