Rta Needs Chunk Of Subdivision For Ramps

Illawarra Mercury

Friday August 26, 2005

By ANTONY FIELD

A COMPANY planning to spend millions on the residential redevelopment of the Bulli brickworks site confirmed yesterday that the Roads and Traffic Authority wanted part of its land for the Bulli Pass-Northern Distributor link road project.

Village Building Company chief executive Robert Winnel said the company had held talks with the RTA over several months because the 550-lot subdivision on the site was near the Northern Distributor extension.

Mr Winnel said the RTA had advised it might need to buy some of Village's land for on and off ramps, and this factor was included in the subdivision's master plan already viewed by the public and Wollongong City Council.

Roads Minister Joe Tripodi has said talk of a tunnel between the F6 freeway and Bulli Pass Rd, as revealed in yesterday's Mercury, was premature.

He said the RTA was simply moving to preserve a corridor of land for future road improvements.

"This long-term planning is designed to cater for increases in population and road use," he said. "There are no time frames or plans for the use of this corridor at this stage."

Mr Tripodi said tunnels were challenging in the Illawarra because of the escarpment.

Meantime, the RTA continued to look at options to improve the Bulli Pass-Lawrence Hargrave Dr intersection.