Christmas Road Closure: Short Term Pain to Fix Griffin Flood Plain
Published 15 December 2022
To accelerate works on the Henry Road and Dohles Rocks Road reconstruction project, Council will close Henry Road in Griffin for five weeks over Christmas. (Dec 17 to Jan 20)
So far construction hours on the project have been limited to off-peak periods which has created delays for crews and disrupted local traffic. Bad weather has also hampered progress, forcing near-complete sections to be re-done.
Mayor Peter Flannery said a full closure of the road for five weeks would allow crews to get the work done with minimal disruption for locals.
“I apologise from the outset and recognise that this will cause disruption for locals over Christmas, but it’s a short-term pain for a long-term gain,” he said.
“The process of reconstructing and widening an existing road, as well as installing traffic signals and also increasing road height for increased flood immunity is complicated - but the current approach is just taking too long.
“A complete closure for five weeks over Christmas will enable us to have crews on the job up to seven days a week, to keep pushing through until that section is done so that we can reopen Henry Road in time for the return of school.
“I want to assure locals that the application for this closure has been lengthy, intricate, and considered in conjunction with emergency services and also service providers.
“This will ensure there’s no disruption to your waste collection and guarantee emergency services are aware of this temporary change so they know to take the alternate route.”
Henry Road will be closed from the 17th December 2022 to 20th January 2023 to achieve a faster delivery of this project. Surrounding road works will continue in the area after the reopening of Henry Road.
Deputy Mayor Jodie Shipway (Div 4) said while Henry Road will be closed, Dohles Rocks Road will remain open the entire time.
“While Henry Road is closed, we will create a detour via McClintock Drive and we will make every effort to reduce the impacts of the work including noise during this period,” she said.
“This was a tough decision but on balance we decided it was better to just get in and get this job done properly in one hit as soon as school holidays started, to minimise disruption for local families and workers”.
“Christmas is the right time to get this done because there’s no school commute, there are fewer cars on local roads, and reduced commuter traffic to work”.
“If the weather does the right thing by us, as forecast, then this approach will save months of ongoing disruptions for locals”
“Works on the broader project will continue after the reopening of Henry Road but the critical thing is that Henry Road will be open before school returns, which is a Christmas gift we can all look forward to in the new year.
“I think residents have tolerated the project delays and disruptions to their commute long enough, I’m certainly looking forward to it being finished as soon as possible”.
“So I apologise for this full road closure, but I think the five weeks of pain is much better than the months it would take to try completing this major project in an ad hoc fashion.
“I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding that we’re trying to make this work with minimal disruption for you.”
Note: The reopening of Henry Road will not be the completion of this project, works will then start on the Dohles Rocks Road section which will have an impact on motorists after Henry Road opens.
Works involved:
- Removal of existing temporary roads
- Earthworks and installation of multicell culverts
- Road pavement and surfacing
- Street lighting