The fast food giant last year lodged a development application to build a restaurant on the corner of Tongarra Road and Terry Street - just two and a half kilometres from an existing store on the Princes Motorway.

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The location was the site of a service station and the potential of asbestos underground had contributed to a delay on any approval.

One of the main issues with the site will be the difficulty many motorists will have in accessing the proposed Macca's.

The main access to the site would be via a driveway on Terry Street, which will cause a headache for any motorist coming from the west - estimated to comprise of about 30 per cent the store's customers.

The intersection at Tongarra Road bans right turns into Terry Street between 6am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

Also, the presence of a median strip along Terry Street will restrict northbound motorists from a Macca's run.

No wonder the proponent mentioned in their original application that they didn't expect it to be a particularly busy store.

As the application process continues, Shellharbour City Council had requested the applicant to provide an updated traffic assessment now that the Albion Park Rail Bypass is complete.

That document also suggested which routes may see a spike in traffic as drivers from the west try to navigate their way to buy a Happy Meal.

Council felt drivers would take the route of Hamilton Road, Taylor Road and come back down Terry Street to avoid the no right turn at the lights.

That route would take drivers through residential streets and create potential traffic delays while trying to turn right onto Terry Street, given that road features traffic entering and exiting the bypass.

The proponent disagreed, suggesting the most popular route would be via Halket and Webb lanes, leading to a right turn onto Tongarra Road.

"This route is shorter and only involves left turns from Tongarra Road and onto Terry Street," the revised traffic assessment stated.

It would see Macca's traffic funnelled onto two small lanes - one just wide enough for a single car - that are used by people to access parking at the rear of Tongarra Road businesses.

The new traffic study suggested the extra traffic along this route would add 25 seconds delay per vehicle during the morning peak.

The key Terry Street-Tongarra Road intersection would see average delays of between 40 and 50 seconds during morning and evening peaks were the McDonald's outlet to be constructed.

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