Frequently asked questions - Northern Beaches Hospital

The final asphalt layers for the surface roads in the project area will be completed by the end of 2019, wherever possible. There will still be finishing work needed on Warringah Road after the underpass opens, however the project is on track for completion in mid-2020.

Extensive geotechnical studies of the composition of the soil and rock have determined the best and safest method for excavating the underpass. The walls will be stabilised using a combination of steel reinforcement through the insertion of ‘soil nails’ or solid steel bars into pre-drilled holes, followed by layers of ‘shotcrete’ or concrete sprayed through a nozzle. Concrete panels will cover the shotcrete. The finish of the panels draws its design from the natural ocean swell, incorporating the cresting wave design seen on the walls of the shared pedestrian and cycle bridges at Forest Way and Hilmer Street.

Excavation of the underpass will continue until November 2019 during which time approximately 130,000m3 of asphalt, road base, and natural materials will be removed from the cavity which will eventually become the underpass. The excavated material will be recycled at the Bare Creek Landfill Belrose and used for:

• improving and separating access roads
• stockpiling material for the proposed Bare Creek Bike Park
• spreading the excavated material over the old landfill site
• rehabilitating the old landfill site

One of the main drivers for the widening of Warringah Road is to alleviate traffic congestion and queuing on Warringah Road at Frenchs Forest. The length of the underpass is sufficient to enable through traffic on Warringah Road to bypass three signalised intersections at Forest Way, Hilmer Street and Wakehurst Parkway and will enhance the performance of the road network.

Motorists can enter the underpass at three points; Wakehurst Parkway, and the Warringah Road western and eastern entry points.

Warringah Road through traffic will enter and exit the eastern end of the underpass approximately half way between Wakehurst Parkway and Allambie Road, just after Rodborough Road if travelling west from Dee Why. The western entry and exit point on Warringah Road is at Fitzpatrick Avenue East and West.

Motorists travelling north and south on Wakehurst Parkway can enter the underpass at the intersection of Warringah Road to travel in a westbound direction.

The speed limit on Warringah Road, including the underpass will be 70 kilometres per hour. The speed limit during construction is 60 kilometres per hour.

The traffic arrangements will be:

• Forest Way between Warringah Road and Adams Street is two lanes northbound and three lanes southbound. A right turn lane is available for Forest Way northbound traffic turning right into Naree Road eastbound
• Naree Road and Frenchs Forest Road between Forest Way and east of Sylvia Place is now two lanes in each direction
• Frenchs Forest Road between Bluegum Crescent West and east of Inverness Avenue is now two lanes in each direction
• Frenchs Forest Road between east of Inverness Avenue and Warringah Road is now two lanes in each direction

New traffic lights are now in operation at the following locations:

• Naree Road and Forest Way intersection
• Rabbett Street and Naree Road intersection
• Bluegum Crescent and Frenchs Forest Road West intersection
• Gladys Avenue and Frenchs Forest Road West intersection
• Wakehurst Parkway and Frenchs Forest Road intersection
• Romford Road and Frenchs Forest Road East intersection
• Allambie Road / Patanga Road / Frenchs Forest Road East intersection
• Frenchs Forest Road East and Warringah Road intersection

Yes. There is now a signalised right turn bay from Wakehurst Parkway southbound to Frenchs Forest Road West westbound.

Restricted parking will be permitted in some areas of Frenchs Forest Road outside of the AM and PM peaks. Naree Road and Frenchs Forest Road West (in front of the Northern Beaches Hospital) is now a clearway and no stopping or parking is permitted.

Please check all signs before parking.

The temporary car park, next to the Skyline Shops on the northern side of Frenchs Forest Road East, will be in place until further notice. The new car spaces on the southern side of Frenchs Forest Road, next to KFC are now available as are the new car spaces near Patanga Park.

Night work will be required when work will impact traffic flow or when working at an intersection. Advanced notification will be sent out before any night work.

We are committed to minimising the impact of construction and will continue to keep the community informed as the project progresses. For more information or to report any concerns, please contact our delivery partner, Ferrovial York Joint Venture.

• Phone: 1800 014 307 (free call line available 24 hours)
• Email: nbhcommunity@ferrovialyork.com.au
• Mail: Northern Beaches Hospital Road Upgrade
  PO Box 6040, Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
• Web: Northern Beaches Hospital

Once the work is completed, there will be an additional four lanes, increasing capacity for east-west traffic along Warringah Road. All existing lanes will be retained and there will be two new eastbound and two new westbound lanes.

Roads and Maritime is addressing parking issues in the area through the Traffic and Access Management Plan. We have consulted with businesses in the area and provided additional parking spaces at the Skyline Shops, The Forest High School, and additional parking on the northern side of Frenchs Forest Road West during off-peak periods.

If the hospital is acting as a catalyst for change and people are parking on the side streets because of the cost of the parking, the hospital will need to address this issue in conjunction with local Council.

Parking is provided for workers at the construction site compound located at the north eastern corner of Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Road.

Changes to bus services to the hospital precinct will introduce two suburban bus routes shown in Sydney’s Bus Future. The aim is for customers to wait less than 15 minutes for weekday suburban bus services to the hospital precinct on routes connecting Manly to Chatswood via Dee Why and Frenchs Forest and Belrose to the Sydney CBD via Eastern Valley Way.

During construction, some bus stops need to be temporarily relocated or closed. These changes have and will continue to be communicated to the community via notification letters and signs posted at the bus stops. These changes and modifications are approved by Transport for NSW. The project team consults regularly with transport providers, local Council and other stakeholders on these bus and transport changes.

Maxwell Parade is outside the project boundary and no major modifications are planned for this intersection. Upon completion of the project, it is anticipated all movements currently available at Maxwell Parade intersection would be maintained, provided public safety is not compromised.

The NSW Government is upgrading roads around the new Northern Beaches Hospital with work to be completed in time for the hospital opening. The road upgrade includes road widening along Frenchs Forest Road, providing access to the new hospital, intersection improvements with bus priority measures, grade separation on Warringah Road at Forest Way, Hilmer Street and Wakehurst Parkway, new pedestrian bridges and bus stop upgrades.

The road upgrade is being delivered in two stages. Stage one began in December 2015 and was completed in October 2018. Stage two began in early 2017 and is expected to be completed in mid-2020.

The roads surrounding the new hospital experience heavy congestion and queuing at peak times. Significant upgrades to surrounding roads and bus services are needed for the hospital precinct road network to operate effectively.

Ferrovial York Joint Venture has been engaged to deliver the project.

The road upgrade will:

• Provide road users with a better travel experience
• Increase the capacity of the road network to address current and future congestion
• Improve access and connectivity throughout the area for all road users including motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

This package was announced as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to the Northern Beaches Transport Action Plan, released in June 2014.

Please refer to the Environmental Impact Statements for Stages 1 and 2 for the different options considered for the project.

The road upgrade will cater for all existing movements currently on Warringah Road and will also provide four additional through lanes. This includes two additional through lanes heading east and two through lanes heading west. At its widest point, Warringah Road will have up to 13 lanes.

Parking for all subcontractors and staff is available in a designated area off local roads through a lease arrangement with a private company. There is also limited parking available at the project site office. Workers are reminded daily to use the parking provided.

Plant operators are also regularly reminded about not using local streets to move through the area unless they are working on that local street.

Site supervisors for both the contractor and Roads and Maritime inspect the project areas daily to ensure plant operators are using approved travel routes and that staff do not park on local streets.

Roads and Maritime and the Ferrovial York Joint Venture acknowledge that the network enhancement work will continue beyond 2018.

The project has encountered significant delays due to complexities around utilities and traffic. Unique challenges are also encountered on projects in heavily populated urbanised areas. Construction hours are often limited due to operational traffic and limitations on noisy work.

Our work involves not only upgrading the roads but also relocating, upgrading and modernising aged utilities and services infrastructure.

However, Stage 1 road work, to provide key connectivity and traffic capacity around the hospital, was completed on time and Stage 2 is due for completion in mid-2020.

The project is high priority and Roads and Maritime is continuing to work closely with key stakeholders, suppliers and sub-contractors to ensure that the project continues to advance.

The electricity cables are unable to be placed underground as there is high pressure gas main along Frenchs Forest Road and it conflicts with the installation of electricity supply along with several other major utility services such as drainage, sewer and telecommunications.

Yes. Some of the work will be outside of standard hours of work. The community will be informed before any night work is carried out. Night work is necessary to minimise the impact on the wider road network.

Ferrovial York Joint Venture has prepared a Noise and Vibration Construction Management Plan. Noisy equipment and machinery causing vibration will be operated as far from residents and businesses as possible and vibration will be monitored if it is occurring close to buildings. During night work, additional mitigation measures may include using flexible noise shields to dampen noise, where possible, and working in shifts so residents are not affected for more than three consecutive nights per week. The affected community will be informed at least five days before the start of any night work.

Any activity likely to impact traffic flows is considered a ‘road occupancy’ and requires a licence issued by the Transport Management Centre. The Road Occupancy Licence (ROL) allows the road to be used and sets out the conditions and approved times for the road occupancy.

To prepare for the road upgrade, a number of services throughout the project will need to be relocated. This includes electricity, water, sewer, gas and telecommunications. The project team is working closely with utility and service providers to carry out this work. The work to relocate services involves establishing traffic controls, clearing trees and vegetation, excavating trenches and services pits, boring holes, installing new conduits, pipes, poles and cables, and then transferring services to new infrastructure. There will be some minor interruption to services during cutovers. Affected residents will be notified before any interruptions.

Roads and Maritime has investigated the possibility of relocating power lines underground along Frenchs Forest Road West and Naree Road. However, due to the presence of High Pressure gas mains running underground on both sides of the road, new underground electrical power lines would need to be placed at a safe distance from the gas mains for safety reasons. This would place them outside the construction area, and would require the acquisition of land from property owners.

The project will include new shared bridges (pedestrian and cyclist):

• Across Warringah Road west of the intersection of Forest Way (removal and replacement of the existing pedestrian bridge)
• Across Warringah Road on the western side of the intersection with Hilmer Street

In addition, the road upgrades will provide shared paths (pedestrian and cyclist) and footpaths on sections of Warringah Road, Wakehurst Parkway, Forest Way, Aquatic Drive and Allambie Road.

During construction, there will be some impact such as redirecting pedestrians and changing locations of crossings, however pedestrian access will be maintained at all times during the project.

The impacts of the project have been examined thoroughly in the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) which provide details of expected impacts and outline measures to manage and mitigate these impacts. These impacts include environment, noise, vibration, biodiversity, land use, heritage, air quality, flora and fauna. These documents are available on the Roads and Maritime and the Department of Planning and Environment websites.

The project will result in the removal of trees and vegetation, including some Duffys Forest vegetation, which is an endangered ecological community. The removal of Duffys Forest is considered a significant impact because less than 16 per cent of the original area of Duffys Forest currently exists in the region.

Strict environmental controls and processes are in place, as outlined in the EIS, Construction Environmental Management Plans, and the Conditions of Approval from the Department of Planning and Environment. Only those trees necessary for the road project are being removed.

To offset the removal of vegetation, ‘Biodiversity offsets’ are proposed which could include measures like protection and conservation of an area of land with similar conservation value.

Roads and Maritime is also exploring options for revegetation using local seeds sourced from within the area. Revegetation will be carried out within the construction zone and delivered progressively.

Pre-clearance surveys are carried out by the Project Ecologist before any work. These surveys confirm the vegetation from an Ecological perspective on-site before clearance.

A Construction Flora and Fauna Management Plan will be in place to ensure appropriate measures are in place to protect the environment during construction, including establishing exclusion zones and regular monitoring.

Trees are being removed along the southern side of Warringah Road. This area is road reserve and has been set aside in readiness for the road widening. The trees in this road reserve are not native to the area and were planted by the previous roads authority to provide temporary vegetation.

Where possible, trees will be protected within the project zone and used as part of the final urban design and landscape plan.

Strict environmental controls and processes are in place, as outlined in the Environmental Impact Statements, Construction Environmental Management Plans, and the Conditions of Approval from the Department of Planning. Only those trees necessary for the road project are being removed.

Roads and Maritime is exploring options for revegetation using local seeds sourced from within the area. Revegetation will be carried out within the construction zone and delivered progressively.

To offset the removal of vegetation, the replanting program will include Indigenous vegetation, particularly Duffys Forest species. ‘Biodiversity offsets’ are also proposed which could include protection and conservation of an area of land with similar conservation value.

As well as planting trees inside the project site, we will be engaging with property owners and encouraging the additional planting of trees at the front of private properties to further enhance the bush and forest landscape of the area.

A wide variety of native species are proposed, including Banksia, Gum trees, Eucalyptus, Bottle Brush, Wattle, Boronia, Grevillea, and many more.

A full planting schedule can be found in the Urban Design and Landscape Plan.

Many species of fauna are found within the area, including mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. As part of the EIS, extensive studies have assessed the potential impact of the project on these fauna and outlined measures to avoid or minimise any impacts.

During clearing an independent ecologist is on site to ensure no animals are harmed and any found are relocated to a safe habitat. The ecologist also identifies any hollow bearing trees and helps determine suitable locations for nest boxes.

To ensure fauna can safely access vegetation, rope bridges and fauna culverts will be included where appropriate, with input from ecological specialists.

Fauna fencing would be used to minimise the possibility of vehicle strikes to ensure no animals are harmed and any found are relocated to a safe habitat.

The final design of the road will be contained in the Urban Design and Landscape Plan. The Plan included designs for the underpass, pedestrian bridges and paths, landscaping and vegetation, noise wall, and road furniture (lighting, signage, shelters). Community feedback on the draft Plan closed on 23 June 2016. We thank the community for their comments, which are now being considered as part of the final UDLP.

Details of the design of the Warringah Road underpass will be contained in the final Urban Design and Landscape Plan. Community feedback on the draft Plan closed on 23 June 2016. We thank the community for their comments, which are now being considered as part of the final UDLP.

Placing the noise wall along the rear property boundary provides a superior urban design outcome by allowing the adjacent shared path and landscaping area to be in open view of all road users travelling along Warringah Road. Placing the noise wall close to the road would close in the shared path and landscaping area and create an unsafe and hostile environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

The shared footpath will be located between the noise wall and the road. The design of the shared pedestrian and cyclist path between the noise wall and the road must be safe. Users of these facilities must be visible and appropriate lighting will also be provided to ensure facilities and users are visible at night. By designing for crime prevention and carefully considering other important urban design requirements it will create an open and safe environment next to the roadway that also provides suitable noise mitigation for sensitive receivers.

The final design of the noise wall is in the final Urban Design and Landscape Plan. The wall ranges in height from 3 to 4 metres, depending on the location, with the top section made of an opaque plexiglass. The design was selected to reduce the visual bulk of the noise wall, minimise overshadowing into private properties, and reduce the structural weight of the noise wall.

Two different materials have been proposed for the noise wall panels. The first is a precast concrete panel and the second a Rotationally Moulded Plastic (RMP). Both these materials have been proposed for a variety of reasons, including to reduce the visual bulk of the noise wall, ease of installation and ongoing maintenance. A simple horizontal relief pattern will be provided on the public facing side. The proposed colour will be a recessive grey charcoal, providing a backdrop to the tree, shrub and ground cover planting located between the shared path and noise wall. A decision will be made regarding the final choice of materials after a thorough investigation. The top portion of the wall will be an opaque plexiglass with a frameless top, and include provision for an embedded horizontal frit to minimise possible bird strike. The opaque panels will be installed to minimise overshadowing into private backyard spaces and to reduce the structural weight of the noise wall.

A simple horizontal relief pattern will be provided on the public facing side of the noise wall to deter graffiti. The RMP panels are graffiti-resistant and do not require an additional treatment to be applied.

Construction of the noise wall is nearly complete.

The strip of land between the noise wall and private properties is part of the road reserve and should be treated in the same manner as the road reserve between a front boundary and the kerb and gutter. Property owners have the use and access to the strip, however it may be altered at any time by the authority responsible for the road reserve.

Roads and Maritime would not recommend any improvements be made on the strip of land. While property owners have use and access of the strip, it may be altered at any time by the authority responsible for the road reserve.

Community feedback has been integral to the development of the Northern Beaches Hospital Road Upgrade Project.

Engagement with the community, businesses and other stakeholders has been ongoing since March 2014.

Environmental Impact Statements were placed on public display in 2014 and 2015, and the community were invited to provide submissions on the project. All feedback received was carefully considered and many changes to the project have occurred in response to community issues.

In June 2016, community feedback was sought on the draft Urban Design and Landscaping Plan (UDLP). This feedback is being currently considered before finalising the UDLP.

Engagement activities include door knocking, letterbox drops, email updates, community information sessions, meetings, work notifications, information on the Roads and Maritime website and one-on-one in person and telephone conversations with the community. The project team regularly meet with key stakeholders including Local Council, local schools, businesses, community groups and residents.

The Community Information Centre has been established at the corner of Warringah Road and Wakehurst Parkway. Information about the project is available to view and members of the project team are available to answer questions. The site will be in place for the duration of the construction. The centre is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and visitor parking is available on site. Disabled access is provided.

Contact the Community Information team on 1800 014 307 or email nbhcommunity@ferrovialyork.com.au, and ask to be added to the distribution list.

Please contact the Community Information team on 1800 014 307 or email nbhcommunity@ferrovialyork.com.au.

Ferrovial York Joint Venture (FYJV) consulted over 500 residents living along the length of Frenchs Forest Road and Naree Road as well as the side streets off Frenchs Forest Road, plus houses along Forest Way and side streets.

Three attempts were made to contact residents via phone calls, emails and / or door-knocks, to obtain their feedback on this proposal.

The areas impacted by the construction noise were identified following a noise assessment prepared by an independent consultant and were overseen by FYJV’s environmental team. Information used to make the assessment included the type of construction activities to be carried out during the extension plus hours of work and the background noise levels. The noise assessment identified the properties to be impacted by construction noise and these properties were included in the consultation.

In order to receive approval to extend the working works, FYJV undertook a comprehensive community consultation and with a significantly positive response. FYJV prepared and submitted a report to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that demonstrated a significant majority of the community supported the additional hours. FYJV received approval from the EPA to proceed with the extended working hours.

The extended working hours are:

• Monday to Friday 6am to 5am
• Saturdays and occasional Sundays 8am and 5pm.

The extended hours of work provide more flexibility as well as:

• Mitigating potential disruptions to construction work because of wet weather
• reducing the amount of time we need to finish building the underpass
• decreasing the impact of our work on local traffic
• improving safety for our workers.

During the extended hours we will:

• construct concrete barriers with slow-moving, concrete-forming machines fed by concrete trucks
• lay asphalt with a machine spreading hot mix asphalt, fed by asphalt delivery trucks
• install the decorative wall panels using a small mobile crane to lift the panels into position.

Compaction work on site includes vibratory rolling techniques, which means there may be some vibration felt in the ground when near the works which you may feel in your home on occasions. However, even though the vibration may cause some discomfort for a short time, the risk of structural impacts on homes within the project site are very low. Please refer to the attached Vibration Fact Sheet for further information.