Wagga motorists resoundingly supportive of Gobbagombalin Bridge duplication: survey
Written by Monty Jacka - article originally published by The Daily Advertiser here.
2 March 2023
Committee 4 Wagga chair Adam Drummond says the survey findings show the duplication of Gobbagombalin Bridge is a key priority for the city. Pictures by Monty Jacka, Les Smith
The vast majority of Wagga motorists believe Gobbagombalin Bridge must be duplicated, with the NSW government being urged to get the project rolling as soon as possible.
Local advocacy group Committee 4 Wagga has released the findings from its Gobbagombalin Bridge survey, which includes responses from over 1100 residents.
More than 95 per cent of respondents agreed the two-lane bridge, which is frequently plagued with congestion issues, is inadequate for the future of the city.
When asked if the money which would be used on a second bridge could be better spent elsewhere in Wagga, nearly 83 per cent said there was no better use of funds.
C4W chair Adam Drummond said the findings were resounding evidence of the bridge duplication's importance.
"This is saying loud and clear what the community wants and I think the government needs to act," Mr Drummond said.
"When the question was asked 'could this money be spend elsewhere' ... hardly any other projects came up. The overwhelming sentiment from the public was 'this is a priority'."
Congestion along the bridge, which connects Wagga's rapidly growing northern suburbs to the rest of the city, has been a key issue for motorists in recent years. Picture by Les Smith
The number one issue cited by respondents was traffic flow, followed by the bridge's impact on emergency services and safety for motorists.
Investigating the bridge's potential duplication was included as one of the state government's key commitments in the Wagga Transport Plan released in August 2022.
According to the long-term plan, the government would be looking at the necessity, cost and feasibility of duplicating the bridge within the next five years.
The state government had previously claimed the duplication of the bridge was unnecessary.
Mr Drummond said work must begin as soon as possible, before congestion issues worsen due to further growth in Wagga's northern suburbs.
"We need to have something in place within the next 10 years, which means planning must begin today," he said.
Member for Wagga Joe McGirr says the survey findings align with the comments he has received from community members. Picture by Madeline Begley
C4W will be sending the results of the survey to each of the candidates vying for the seat of Wagga in the upcoming state election. The group plans to question the candidates on their position regarding the bridge duplication at a debate being held later in March.
Member for Wagga Joe McGirr said the survey findings confirm the feedback he has received from the community over the past few years.
The independent MP has been a vocal advocate for the bridge's duplication, which he believes is vital to maintaining Wagga's liveability and ensuring timely emergency response times in the northern suburbs.
"We need to do the planning now. I have already met with Transport for NSW and the council to get this process under way - they have assured me they are starting work on this," Dr McGirr said.
"Work needs to happen in the next year or two because we need to be ready to get this stuff happening in the next ten years."
The Wagga Transport Plan, released by Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway last year, includes a commitment to investigate the feasibility of duplicating Gobbagombalin Bridge within the next five years. Picture by Madeline Begley
Transport for NSW is currently planning to install traffic lights at either end of the Gobbagombalin Bridge, in a bid to provide a short-term solution to the traffic chaos.
Nearly 45 per cent of respondents said the proposed traffic lights were not a practical solution. Only 27 per cent were supportive of having the lights at both ends, while 28 per cent said the lights should only be installed on one side. The final 31 per cent did not share their thoughts.
Mr Drummond described the lights as a "band-aid solution" with the community preferring the creation of an underpass at the southern end.
He said this would allow motorists driving north on Moorong Street to turn right onto Travers Street without disrupting the flow of cars coming off the bridge.
Congestion along the bridge reached its peak during the floods in October 2022, with some motorists having to wait up to two hours to cross.
'Horrendous' was selected as the most apt word to describe traffic flow on the bridge at that time by 88 per cent of respondents and 'inconvenient' was selected by 10 per cent of people.