Work on a new western access road into Bridport will likely begin in the upcoming financial year should the Dorset Council be successful in its bid for a $2 million federal government grant.
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Dorset mayor Greg Howard said the council had submitted an application for the grant under the Stronger Regions initiative and would look to get the ball rolling quickly should the application be successful.
The proposed development would see about 4.3 kilometres of road constructed between the Brid River and Little Forester River, beginning at a junction west of the Bridport Road bridge and joining up with current infrastructure west of the Bridport Golf Club.
The town is currently serviced by a single road, leaving the town with minimal options in the case of a fire.
Cr Howard said with more and more dairies taking up residence in the Bridport area, a new road would help eliminate the safety issue caused by heavy vehicles regularly tackling the main street.
“We have a heap of new dairies being built on the western side of Bridport and all the traffic, milk tankers, stock trucks and feed trucks have to go straight in through the main street of the town,” Cr Howard said.
“Especially over summer when Bridport's population rose from 1200 to 4500, there's a heap of little kids in the street and you don't want B-doubles in the main street, because they can't get around the roundabouts properly.”
Cr Howard said he expected the new infrastructure would also provide greater opportunities for Bridport to add to its growing number of permanent and part-time residents.
“It also opens up some subdivisional opportunities in the western side of the town and that will allow for some genuine growth in the amount of properties available in Bridport and the blocks for sale.
“At the moment while there are blocks for sale they're too expensive for a young family to build a house because most of the blocks are $200,000 or better.
“Productivity-wise (the road) would be a valuable asset for the North East.”
Successful Stronger Regions third round applications are expected to be announced in July.