After considering comments from the community and key stakeholders about the loss of open space and the removal of trees at Stevens Reserve, we have decided not to proceed with the proposed road widening on Stanley Street, Bankstown.

This means, although we can’t create an additional right turning lane on Stanley Street, we can now move the delivery of all other improvements into the second stage of construction, providing more immediate congestion and safety benefits for local residents.

We have also amended our design to relocate the pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Stacey Street, Macauley Avenue and Fairford Road from the southern leg of the intersection to the northern side. This will prioritise the safety of pedestrians, ensuring they can cross the road without needing to wait at the crossing island.

For more information on the changes to the project take a look at our project webpage at rms.nsw.gov.au/sfb

Construction of Stage 2 of the improvements will begin in the second half of 2019, and will be completed by mid 2021. More information on the construction schedule for the remainder of the project will be provided as the project progresses.

Covering the open drain on Stacey Street was investigated and considered as part of this project. A number of possible solutions were discussed with key stakeholders including Sydney Water and the City of Canterbury Bankstown. Due to the constraints of the existing drain structure, covering the drain completely or partially would impact the effective flood management of the area. For this reason it was not able to be covered further as part of this project.

Roads and Maritime investigated the use of the pedestrian footbridge across the open drain on Stacey Street due to safety concerns. Pedestrian volumes were measured during morning and afternoon peak periods on a weekday and across a 12-hour period on the weekend.

A total of 17 pedestrians used the mid-block crossing during the morning peak period and 13 during the afternoon peak period during the weekday. A total of 40 pedestrians used the pedestrian footbridge during the 12-hour period on the weekend, with a maximum of eight pedestrians per hour.

Due to the low volumes of use and safety concerns raised by the community, we closed the access to the footbridge as part of our project to improve Stacey Street during the first stage of construction. The footbridge will be removed from the open drain on Stacey Street as part of work in the second stage. Alternative pedestrian access across Stacey Street is available at the intersections of Stanley Street and Macauley Avenue.

During the course of completing the improvements, access to some driveways may be impacted for construction and safety purposes. Roads and Maritime will be in contact with these impacted residents at the appropriate time to discuss alternative solutions. On the completion of the project, all driveway access will be returned to existing conditions.

A review of environmental factors was carried out as part of this project’s assessment. Vegetation within the project area consists of mainly planted trees and shrubs and does not include any native species or threatened ecological communities.

Pinch points are intersections or short lengths of road at which a bottleneck exists. These bottlenecks can occur from increased vehicle volumes on the network and growth in the area. Bottlenecks cause a build-up of vehicles and can result in travel delays for motorists travelling along the road network.

In February 2015, the NSW Government committed $300 million to address critical pinch points along the A1, A3 and A6 routes south of the M5 Motorway. The program focuses on short to medium term solutions to improve travel time and reliability for all road users. To find out more about the Gateway to the South Pinch Point Program please visit rms.nsw.gov.au/g2s