MID North Coast residents say they have been left in the dark about the details of the sealing of their notorious main road.
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Maria River Rd is the popular but dangerous link road between Crescent Head and Port Macquarie's North Shore.
Before the State Election on March 23 last year, Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams promised a re-elected Liberal/National Government would seal Maria River Rd.
Seventeen million dollars was allocated in the 2019/2020 state budget handed down on June 18, 2019.
North Shore Progress Association president Kingsley Searle said he had tried to find out where the project was up to, but to no avail.
"Nobody has been able to give us a definite date yet," Mr Searle said. "We are waiting with bated breath."
Mr Searle said accidents continue to occur on the deadly road, particularly after the recent wet weather.
"My biggest concern is we don't want to see any more accidents on that road so the sooner it is done the better off," he said.
"There are still accidents, we are still having punctures and breakdowns on the road. After the rain it is in very bad condition."
Mr Searle said he had been under the impression Port Macquarie-Hastings and Kempsey Shire councils were "shovel ready" at the time of the announcement last year.
"We thought the project was ready to commence as soon as they got the funding," he said.
State Member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams, was contacted for comment about the timeline around the project.
Four questions were sent to Port Macquarie-Hastings and Kempsey Shire councils. These were around a commencement date, timeline of the project, impact on residents during the project and funding.
Kempsey Shire Council's director of Operations and Planning, Robert Fish, said they were "anticipating confirmation of the funding in coming months".
"We look forward to delivering this important project in partnership with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council," Mr Fish said.
Group manager for Infrastructure Planning at Port Macquarie Hastings Council, Cameron Hawkins, said a funding application for Maria River Rd was still being assessed.
"Following the NSW Government's $17 million election commitment to seal Maria River Rd, Kempsey Shire Council and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council were required to submit a grant funding application under the NSW Government Fixing Local Roads program," Mr Hawkins said.
"This joint application was submitted by Kempsey Shire Council at the end of 2019, and once funding has been confirmed, detailed design, construction methodology and planning will commence."
No level of government could confirm the timeline around the project or what impact there would be to residents during work on the project.
