Council's fastest roundabout way to prioritise safety

Building a new roundabout normally takes about three weeks.

But in a revolutionary first, the City of Canterbury Bankstown has managed to build one in a record-breaking time of just three days.

Construction of the new traffic calming feature on the corner of Tower and Hinemoa streets, Panania, was literally around the clock with work starting on Friday afternoon and completed over the weekend.

The quick turnaround was a result of community consultation in which residents told Council they preferred the roadworks to be condensed into three days, working 24 hours a day with full intersection closures, rather than a prolonged three-week works program with partial closures.

Councillor Steve Tuntevski, who lives near the new roundabout, was full of praise for the speed at which it was completed. “This project has certainly set the benchmark for other projects across the City,” he said “We consulted with the local community and they told us that’s what they wanted.”

The roundabout was delivered as part of the Safer Roads Program, which targets road locations with high volumes of incidents by introducing better safety measures that reduce accidents.

To reduce the impact on community members, a free shuttle service was introduced and minimal detours were in place for motorists and bus routes.

Cr Tuntevski said the roundabout does not “cut corners”. He said finishing the work brings the project to a close after going full circle with constructive community consultation.

“A roundabout at this location was long overdue and locals should be pretty happy with the outcome. No more waiting for long periods and a safer intersection for all residents,” Cr Tuntevski said.

“We will continue to improve and deliver on projects across the city.”