ONE Stroud resident who regularly drives south on the Bucketts Way has decided that enough is enough when it comes to the state of both the Bucketts Way and Medowie intersections with the Pacific Highway, and is calling for the community to show its support for urgent government action.
NOTA reported in March on the strong concerns held by former RTA senior engineer Gordon Chirgwin about the state of the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection.
“I believe that the intersections of the Pacific Highway with Bucketts Way at Twelve Mile Hill and Medowie Road are of high priority,” said Mr Chirgwin at the time.
“Both intersections present a high risk of serious high-speed accidents.”
NOTA reported that Mr Chitgwin’s fears appeared to be well-founded after a serious accident at the intersection on 15 May.
It has now become clear that Mr Chirgwin is far from alone in his concerns about the state of both intersections, with anger growing in the affected communities, who say their calls for action are falling on deaf ears.
Leah Veksins, who both lives and works in Stroud, is circulating a petition calling for government action to fix both the Bucketts Way and Medowie Road intersections.
“We ask our elected representatives and responsible authorities to work collaboratively toward a practical, modern, and safer solution for these increasingly dangerous intersections,” asks the petition.
Leah explained to NOTA that she had been concerned about the state of both intersections for many years, but since the accident on 15 May the issue has become more personal for her.
“Both the people seriously injured in that accident are very good friends of mine,” Leah said.
“They are lovely, elderly people, and they were lucky to survive.
“Something has to change, but is it going to take a fatality?
“I just want to make change and the community is 100 per cent behind me, but we need the community now to come together and say, OK, let’s do something.”
According to Leah the petition can be signed online,or via hard copy at many venues, including at Gloucester, Dungog, Clarence Town, Karuah, Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest and Medowie.
“Also once the new M1 bypass passes Heatherbrae and the new quarry comes in here it’s just going to get worse,” Leah said.
“They need an overpass at both intersections.”
So far, the petition has received over 1200 signatures online, but Leah is not yet aware how many have signed the hard copies, but is hoping for thousands more signatures.
The petition titled “Make the Pacific Highway intersections safe”, can be accessed via the Change.org website and will run until late January 2027.
By John WATTS
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