WORK has started on the long-awaited and much-debated noise walls at the southern end of the Berry Bypass.
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A number of residents, especially on the eastern side of the Berry Bypass, at Windsor Drive and the nearby retirement village, The Arbour, have complained and campaigned about the noise from the bypass since it was opened six months ahead of schedule in July 2017.
Residents of Huntingdale Estate, on the western side of the bypass have also complained about the continuously intolerable traffic noise, as a result of the Princes Highway realignment.
It was actually announced in November 2018 and prior to the 2019 State Elections that Kiama MP Gareth Ward had secured $5.3 million to construct noise walls to protect Berry residents.
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In October last year Mr Ward and Transport for NSW announced local company GC Civil had been awarded the contract to build the Berry structures, on both sides of the Princes Highway, at Windsor Drive and next to Huntingdale Park Road.
It's been an on again off again project with delays for numerous periods of consultation and studies.
But now work has finally started on the Berry walls, albeit on the western side near Huntingdale Estate.
An area of land on the large mounded bank adjoining the housing estate has been cleared and posts put in place, with the noise walls being built using half solid and half transparent acoustic panels, as was the preference of the community.
Resident Tina Ballard, who has campaigned for the walls, said she is delighted see work begin.
"It's fantastic to finally see work started," she said.
"This work was originally supposed to start in May but there were delays.
"It's certainly encouraging to see work start ... it's almost surprising.
"There's no indication when they will start on the eastern side, hopefully it's soon."
The structures will run for around 300 metres on both sides of the highway, south of the Kangaroo Valley Road overpass and will be included in the mounded areas that already exist on either side of the bypass.
On the Windsor Drive side, the structure will be around four and a half metres off the ground, while on the Huntingdale Park Road side, which is already considerably higher, the structures will be around six and a half metres high.
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