17 MARCH 2021
ISSUE 230
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
News
40 state medals between three clubs
Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast and Terrigal MP, Adam Crouch, has come under fire from Central Coast Administrator, Dick Persson... See page 3
Out&About
For anyone in the Entrance who is seeing funny lights near the waterfront, no it is not alien activities, it is Bright Nights @ The Entrance. See page 17
The 2021 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships moved on to the Masters’ Beach & Water events, as well as the Masters’ and Opens’ Lifesaving Championships, hosted by Swansea Belmont SLSC from March 12-14, with a number of Northern Central Coast clubs finding more podium placements.
Business
See page 39
Mayhem and gridlock on the M1 and surrounds There was mayhem on the M1 near Wyong on Thursday, March 11, due to damage to the road surface and reports of debris on the road near the Alison Rd overpass. Problems started in the early hours of the morning with several motorists having to contend with tyres that had blown out and buckled rims after driving over the damaged road surface and the large gap which opened up in the M1 road pavement. Just after 4am emergency services, Transport for NSW staff and an engineer were on site and two of the three southbound lanes were closed. Tow trucks were called in to remove the vehicles with tyre trouble which caused even more disruption to traffic. A Transport for NSW spokesperson said a fourmetre steel plate covering an
Southbound traffic banked up on the M1 near Sparks Rd
expansion joint became detached on the M1 at the southbound Deep Creek No.3 bridge at Wyong. Expansion joints are installed to accommodate movement, shrinkage and temperature variations on bridges. The bridge had to be urgently repaired, which involved forming and pouring new concrete to replace the steel.
By 7am, it was havoc, the queues on the M1 were 10km long, only moving at a crawl, and there were reports that some motorists had been in traffic at a standstill for up to two hours. As the news got out, motorists started taking detours and other shortcuts but it wasn’t long before all other roads in and around Wyong were in gridlock.
Children were stranded at bus stops for hours waiting for their school buses while many others decided to walk, causing a different set of safety problems because in many locations there are no footpaths for the children to walk on. The repair work continued through the morning peak and it was expected to go on until early evening, however, at 2pm, Live Traffic NSW
announced all southbound lanes were again open although traffic remained heavy for some time afterward. Following this incident, Transport for NSW carried out further inspections of bridges with a similar type of joint and identified a piece of expansion joint on the nearby Deep Creek No.2 bridge which required urgent replacement. That work was completed by 7am on Tuesday, March 16. Transport for NSW is continuing its investigations into this type of bridge joint to reduce the risk of similar issues and to ensure the safety of all road users. Motorists who sustained damage to their vehicles which they believe has been caused by the condition of the road can lodge a claim for repair costs.
Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC) is hoping that a roundtable held on March 11 will be the beginning of a new co-operative approach. See page 26
Sport
The Mariners have drawn in the A-League at Central Coast Stadium, 2 – 2, against Perth Glory. See page 38
Sue Murray
Puzzles page 23
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