There's been a little bit of movement on Queen Street recently, with MidCoast Council preparing for some pretty major works in the new year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's one of Gloucester's main arteries that sees a fairly steady flow of traffic, as well as being the home one of community's frequently used services, the post office.
But the gradient of the road has been the cause of issues for many years, with stormwater run-off affecting businesses and steep parking spots resulting in cars jumping the kerb.
Queen Street residents say the plan to reconstruct the road has been on the council's agenda for about 20 years, starting with the Gloucester Shire Council and now being taken up by MidCoast Council.
Anyone who drives the road, knows where the problems lie.
The nose to kerb angled parking on the southern side of the street, where the post office is located, is on such a steep slope on the downward fall of the road, that it can be can cause visibility issues for drivers reversing out. This can also be an issue for drivers heading west as they are unable to see that part of the road until they've come over the crest close to the reversing car.
Another issue is the bumps in the road heading down the steep hill toward the roundabout, with pub patrons often hearing the clunk of the trucks as they travel toward Church Street.
But now, MidCoast Council plans to reconstruct a section of the road between Barrington and Church Streets in February 2020.
Although council is yet to release the plans publicly, residents of Queen Street have indicated the plan involves tiering the street, making the southern side lower than the northern side with a median strip through the middle and a new roundabout at Barrington Street.
However, at this stage council hasn't finalised the plans as staff have been consulting with residents about concerns they may have.
What council has said is that work is scheduled to start in late February next year and will include addressing issues about the fall of the road, which currently slopes steeply into the kerb.
"The scope of the project also includes constructing an accessible median strip for improved pedestrian safety, road resurfacing, footpath reconstruction and beautification," council's director of engineering and infrastructure services Robert Scott said.
"The project is expected to continue over seven months, weather permitting."
Road and footpath closures will be required and on-street parking will be disrupted.
Council will provide more details in January. Some preparation work has been undertaken recently.