George Bass Drive upgrade underway

Eurobodalla Council is upgrading the notorious bends at Grandfathers Gully on George Bass Drive between Surf Beach and Lilli Pilli.

Council received $3.8 million in Commonwealth Government funding toward the road safety improvements, which will include removing the tight bends, providing protected right-turn intersections to Grandfathers Gully Road and Denise Drive as well as widened lanes, centreline treatments and shoulders, improved lighting, delineation and protective fencing.

The upgrade will improve line of sight for drivers and provide safer access for residents to George Bass Drive from Grandfathers Gully Road and Denise Drive. It will also include a connection for a future off-road shared pathway to link Malua Bay, Lilli Pilli and Surf Beach to existing networks that will eventually connect Malua Bay cyclists to Batemans Bay and even Surfside.

Council’s infrastructure director Warren Sharpe OAM said the upgrade was a key project in Council’s Road Safety Plan 2019-22.

Mr Sharpe said Grandfathers Gully bends has a poor history of road crashes including a recent truck rollover.

“We know that almost half of all our crashes are on busy roads like George Bass Drive,” he said.

“We also know this road is experiencing significant growth in traffic due to increasing development at Lilli Pilli, Malua Bay, Tomakin and Broulee, and higher visitor numbers. This will grow further as the Rosedale west development comes online.

“We need to be on the front foot and get the road infrastructure needed to service these growth corridors in place to avoid further road-related trauma before it occurs.

“The new road alignment and road formation will provide for vastly improved road safety and capacity to meet current and future traffic volumes using this critical regional transport route.

“This project is a major win for community safety and transport in northern Eurobodalla.”

Fill removed from the site will be re-used to prepare for broader road safety improvements along the route to Malua Bay and the Guerilla Bay intersection.

Council has already completed preliminary shoulder widening work. Earthworks and road construction is expected to begin late January and be complete by the end of June.

Changes to traffic arrangements throughout the project will be communicated via variable message boards, in Council’s weekly noticeboard and via our current works page.

Residential access will be maintained, including for emergencies and Council will be in direct contact with residents to inform them of the construction arrangements.