Following community consultation last year, MidCoast Council will proceed to close the access road from The Corso to the Lakes Way from Wednesday 2 June.
Originally designated as a temporary access road when the estate was developed in 1993, last year the developer asked Council to either buy the lot, or transfer it to the developer.
"Council considered the outcomes of community consultation held in September 2020, and resolved at its November 2020 meeting that the access road should be closed, with the remaining lot transferred to the developer," said Council's Manager of Transport Assets Engineering, Scott Nicholson.
The developer has indicated that the lot will be rehabilitated to its original condition, kerb and gutter roadworks completed, and sold for residential development.
The closure of the access road has required changes to both the school and commercial bus routes that were using the link road.
Forster Buslines have been working with Transport for NSW to implement these changes, with school and commercial bus routes changed in the last weeks.
"We will allow a two week period for people to get familiar with the changes to the bus routes before the proposed permanent closure on Wednesday 2 June."
Variable message boards will be in place this week to advise motorists of the upcoming closure.
Those involved in the community consultation held last year raised valid points for both options, leaving Council to make the decision to close the temporary link road.
That decision upheld the original intent of the design for the Lakes Estate, that the road would eventually be closed. It also prevents the Estate streets being used a short cut for through traffic.
An alternative route for through traffic south of Forster will be realised when the extension to The Southern Parkway is completed, although there is no immediate timeline for this to occur.
Meanwhile, close to this location, construction of a new roundabout on The Lakes Way is included in the 2021 – 2022 works program. That roundabout will connect to The Southern Parkway extension when it is completed, and is also planned to provide a secondary access to the new Palm Lakes development located opposite the Lakes Estate.
