Council's geotechnical officer Peter Tobin shows the subsidence at Mt Keira Road. Picture: KEN ROBERTSON
Wollongong City Council staff have recommended against the temporary reopening of Mount Keira Road to walkers and cyclists amid concerns the cost of bringing it up to an acceptable standard for passive use could top $200,000.
The council closed a 400-metre section of the hillside road in December last year due to safety issues associated with rockfalls and landslides along the roadway.
However, members of Illawarra cycling and walking groups approached the council in January in a bid to have the popular road reopened to pedestrians and cyclists only.
The request prompted staff to seek a reassessment of the risk to the public if it allowed passive use of the site until substantial remediation works were carried out.
MORE: Cyclists fight back against Mt Keira Rd ban
MORE: Public safety warning issued for Mt Keira Road
A report to next Monday's council meeting presents two options to partially reopen the roadway, both of which include dedicating a three metre-wide bike path and a one metre-wide pedestrian path on the outer lane of the road.
Option one proposes to have only a white line separating the pathways, while the second suggests setting up a concrete barrier between walkers and cyclists.
The options are priced at $150,000 and $200,000 respectively, and both are considered to carry a "tolerable" risk to user safety.
However, staff have recommended councillors back a third option - keeping the road closed altogether.
They argue the cost of opening the road is not "good value" for the community, given the other competing priorities for council funds.
Illawarra Bicycle User Group (iBUG) chairman Werner Steyer last night said he was very disappointed with the recommendation and planned to call an urgent meeting with other recreational groups that used the site.
"When we met with the council in January we were told we'd get the chance to see the report first so we could get an understanding of it," he said.
"[But] that's obviously not happening now."
Mr Steyer said he hoped iBUG would be able to send a representative to address councillors on the matter at next Monday's council meeting.
In the report, staff estimated the cost of stabilising the land and rockwalls along Mount Keira Road at about $1 million.
