ACTING mayor Amanda Cohn has used her casting vote to back traffic lights being installed at the Thurgoona Drive-Elizabeth Mitchell Drive intersection at the expense of an upgrade to the existing roundabout.
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Cr Cohn joined Cr Alice Glachan and Cr David Thurley in supporting the installation of traffic lights at the well-known traffic bottleneck in the city's growth corridor as per the recommendation of Albury Council's local traffic committee.
Cr John Stuchbery spearheaded the push for a dual lane roundabout and was supported by Cr Murray King and Cr Darren Cameron with mayor Kevin Mack on leave contesting the federal election and Cr Henk van de Ven and Cr Graham Docksey also apologies.
"Why would you spend $2.6 million on something that is less safe than what is currently there to manage a problem which is 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the evening?" Cr Stuchbery said.
"I don't want to be on call for emergency when the first accident victims are already at the hospital after traffic lights have been installed.
"Albury is rife with poorly thought out, poorly planned, poorly functioning traffic-lighted intersections.
"If we put traffic lights on this intersection we lose control of it, just like we've lost control of every other dysfunctional intersection in this city."
Engineering director Brad Ferris said a dual lane roundabout with slip lanes would extend its lifespan to 12 years in comparison to 20 years with traffic lights.
Cr David Thurley backed the longer term solution.
"We only spend the money once, not do half a job and repeat it in a few years time," he said.
"The public has heard about this concept and is happy with it and want to see something happen as soon as possible."
Cr Glachan backed the traffic committee recommendation.
"They are the experts and whilst I don't like traffic lights, I am not a road or traffic light expert nor am I a roundabout expert," she said.