FOR Rod Zemanek, sealing the remaining gravel section of The Branch Lane could do more than make the weekly drive easier.
The long-time resident believes it could give drivers another option for reaching the Pacific Highway, easing pressure on the Twelve Mile intersection at The Bucketts Way.
Mr Zemanek, 84, has lived in the area for 27 years and travels The Branch Lane several times a week. He is among residents he calls the ‘Branch Lane Warriors’, who have battled the lane for years.
He estimates about eight kilometres remain unsealed.
“It’s not a final fix, but it’s a quick fix,” Zemanek said.
His proposal would direct some traffic from The Bucketts Way through Booral Road and The Branch Lane to the existing Tarean Road interchange near Karuah.
He wants MidCoast Council to seek NSW Government funding, arguing the road’s potential extends beyond the residents who use it daily.
“It will give trucks a safe option to enter the highway and leave it,” he said.
Mr Zemanek said the route also provides an important alternative when crashes, bushfires or other emergencies close surrounding roads.
However, he acknowledged that improvements would need to involve more than laying a sealed surface.
He described the existing single-lane steel bridge as a challenge for heavy vehicles and said flooding was another concern.
For residents, wet weather brings a familiar cycle of potholes and grading.
“It’s a never-ending saga,” he said.
“To rebuild the road properly and put it together, the maintenance will be less and the usability will be much better.”
With quarry traffic also on his mind, Mr Zemanek said the need to transport construction materials should be matched by suitable roads.
He acknowledged MidCoast Council’s limited resources and said his campaign was about finding a practical solution.
“MidCoast Council are doing their best and doing a fair job with the limited resources that they’ve got,” he said.
“It’s just a question of taking a logical approach to a problem and solving it.”
Zemanek plans to raise the proposal at the Meet the Councillors session, to be held at Stroud School of Arts on Thursday, 5 November, from 5pm.
By Althea GUINSBERG
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