Roundabout repair costly but construction aesthetically pleasing

Gunnedah Shire Council says the infamous brickwalled roundabout on Chandos Street will remain despite multiple vehicle crashes costing ratepayers thousands of dollars in repairs.

Located at the corner of Conadilly and Chandos streets, the brick wall surrounding the roundabout often bears the brunt of errant motorists.

As reported by the Gunnedah Times last week, the eastern road barrier suffered damage late last year when struck by a vehicle.

The incident occurred some time after damage to the western wall was repaired, presumably after another vehicle crash.

Council’s director infrastructure services Jeremy Bartlett said the damaged wall was made safe after the recent occasion and reinstatement works have been planned.

Repair work will now be undertaken in line with the availability of appropriate personnel and/or contractors to undertake the work.

The director said barrier walls in central business district areas are generally subject to collision, typically from cascading vehicle impacts or trucks of inappropriate length attempting to negotiate turns.

“There have been a few instances of this over the last three years in the Gunnedah CBD,” he said.

Costs vary for each repair and depend on how much, if any, funds can be recouped from the motorists involved.

“Depending on the specific event and extent of damage to council’s infrastructure, costs to clean up, make safe and repair can be in the thousands of dollars per event,” Mr Bartlett said.

“Where possible, council attempts to have these costs recovered from the party that caused the damage.”

Asked what consideration has been given to alternate construction material or design of the roundabout, council highlighted the benefit of brick walled barriers which it said serve several functions – both aesthetically and for safety.

“The brick walls provide an entry statement that alert motorists of the changed conditions as they enter the high pedestrian activity zone and encourage a reduction in speed to a safer level, that has the effect of reducing the likelihood and severity of collisions that may occur,” Mr Bartlett said.

“The brick walls also provide a physical protection barrier for pedestrians. Many of the vehicles that have collided with these walls have done so in incidents that had the potential to result in catastrophic injuries for pedestrians using the adjacent footpaths.

“While an alternative material/design could be considered, the current infrastructure that is in place is considered to be the safest option given the high pedestrian nature of the CBD.

“It is particularly important in that location due to the town hall and cultural precinct, including the Civic Theatre, being adjacent, and often hosting events and community activities.

“The brickwork solution is also a more aesthetically pleasing entryway into Gunnedah than any alternative material, such as galvanised steel guardrail.”

In September, council advised it would be seeking grant funding to install two electric vehicle charging stations in Chandos Street.

It was one of several recommendations by the Gunnedah Local Traffic Advisory Committee which also sought a “detailed design of parking line marking and signage and wayfinding” in the Chandos Street precinct.

In 2017, Chandos Street reverted to two-way traffic soon after the street was changed to only one-way.

The decision to revert back to the original road configuration came after a wave of community backlash to the one-way change. The road reconfiguration was at the time expected to cost council $72,000.