THE Jerrabomberra Public School community has successfully lobbied Queanbeyan Council for a safe crossing of Edwin Land Parkway following concerns that increased traffic through the suburb brought by the Ellerton Drive Extension (EDE) would endanger students.
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Councillors voted last month to investigate options for either a pedestrian overpass or underpass or a signalled intersection on the Edwin Land Parkway immediately east of the Jerrabomberra Roundabout.
Both the Jerrabomberra Public School P&C and the Jerrabomberra Residents' Association (JRA) have lobbied Council strongly on the issue over recent months, with the P&C opposing the construction of the new EDE without a safe crossing in place.
School principal Chris Hunter told The Queanbeyan Age this week that Edwin Land Parkway was already a dangerous crossing point for students, with traffic through the suburb on the rise.
She said the school community was concerned traffic would only increase if the EDE was built.
"The increase in traffic has already been noticed [through Jerrabomberra], and I'm really concerned about the safety of kids crossing there," Mrs Hunter said.
"There's a lot of kids who cross at that point, and with the development of Googong the traffic has increased exponentially I would say."
School P&C president Bryce Wilson said the P &?C had voted last year to take a position of qualified opposition to the road.
"We would reconsider that position if Council could guarantee a safe crossing over Edwin Land," Mr Wilson said.
"And a majority of parents would approve of that. There's lots of kids who cross over every day to the 'big shops', to use Jerra speak."
Councillors will now review a range of options for a safe crossing of Edwin Land Parkway at their meeting next month, with construction set to be complete prior to the opening of the EDE.