Several key roads in the Mid Coast area are about to become a lot safer and smoother through a funding injection by the federal and State governments.
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Almost $5 million has been allocated to upgrade sections of Muldoon Street and Cowper Street in Taree and seal a 3.1km stretch that encompasses Waitui and Hannam Vale roads.
More than $1 million will be spent on Cowper Street, between Manning River Drive and St Vincent Street, while almost $860,000 will be used to repair Muldoon Street, from Patricia Avenue to Whitbread Street.
The Waitui project will cost $3 million.
Member for Lyne Dr David Gillespie said the 'shovel ready' projects will create jobs and enhance safety for motorists in the high traffic areas.
"It's great coming out of COVID-19 we've got all this extra civil works happening," Dr Gillespie said.
"It gives employment to people in civil construction and it makes the roads so much better and a whole lot safer.
This will make the roads safer, smoother and the transport corridors will be improved to such a degree that people's lives will be saved.
- David West, MidCoast Council mayor
"This money is particularly fixing up and recovering the surface to make it safer and maintainable in the long run.
"I'm hoping council will be able to start as soon as they have available machines and people to work."
Muldoon and Cowper Streets are among the busiest in the Manning area. They are also commonly used by trucks and other heavy vehicles.
So it's only natural considerable wear and tear will develop over time.
"The pavement surface of the road is breaking down, that happens over the years particularly with trucks and heavy vehicles," Dr Gillespie said.
"You need to continually maintain this surface otherwise much greater works would need to be done down the track."
Dr Gillespie also credited the work of Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead to secure State government funding.
The Muldoon Street upgrade builds on current works being undertaken between Whitbread Street and Grey Gum Road.
MidCoast Council mayor David West said the gradual progression of road maintenance projects dates back to a promise made when the former Greater Taree, Great Lakes and Gloucester councils were amalgamated.
"We made a commitment back in 2016 to create a roads program like this community has never seen before and that is spending more money on roads in any of the three former council areas in partnership with the federal and State governments.
"This will make the roads safer, smoother and the transport corridors will be improved to such a degree that people's lives will be saved."
Cr West said he regularly receives complaints from residents being held up by road works. He doesn't view this as a bad thing.
"It's lovely to be held up by road works rather than people saying 'these bloody roads'," Cr West exclaimed.
MidCoast Council general manager Adrian Panuccio was pleased with the progress of the roads program across the local government area.
"It's fantastic news for the council and it builds on the fantastic work we are doing on roads in the local government area," Mr Panuccio said.
"As we know roads are the number one priority for our local government area and MidCoast Council is doing as much as it possibly can of late."
Hannam Vale Road is an important freight route for the agriculture and timber industries.
It's also positive news for the Waitui and Hannam Vale communities according to Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams.
"Locals have been crying out for years to get this road improved and soon the wait will be over," Mrs Williams said.
"The funding that we promised last year (before the NSW election) is now being delivered and I very much look forward to construction work commencing."
Mr Bromhead said the State government was also progressing with funding for the Fixing Local Roads program to get more projects underway faster.
"We're not just putting our foot down in terms of delivering this package - we're turbocharging it to ensure we create jobs and create better journeys on the roads that really matter to local communities like the Manning and Great Lakes areas," Mr Bromhead said.
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