Muswellbrook Shire Council Mayor Jeff Drayton says the upgrade of Thomas Mitchell Drive is expected to take up to 42 weeks to complete, running well into next year.
But, Drayton raised concernns over the intersection of Denman Road and Thomas Mitchell Drive, where he said crashes were continuing. He said Council had never agreed with the design of the intersection, which falls under state control.
“Denman Road and the first 200 metres of Thomas Mitchell Drive is state road. So they own that road. Therefore, they’re responsible for upgrading it and designing it,” he said.
Asked whether recent changes to the intersection had improved safety, Cr Drayton said they had not.
“It doesn’t seem to have made one iota of difference,” he said, adding that council may need to push Transport for New South Wales for a roundabout or traffic lights.
He said council had held talks with the state agency on the issue.
