Road work as part of preparations for next weekend's Newcastle 500 Supercars event has caused traffic chaos at the weekend, with gridlock reportedly leaving vehicles at a near stand-still along a popular stretch of coastal road near Nobbys and Newcastle beaches - with one witness telling the Newcastle Herald drivers were experiencing at least two-hour delays.
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The situation prompted a warning from Newcastle police on social media on Sunday, urging motorists to steer clear of the area amid delays "due to significant traffic around the Newcastle 500 supercars event and sunny weather".
Video obtained by the Newcastle Herald recorded on Sunday shows a long line of vehicles at a stand-still near Newcastle beach and the city's ocean baths.
Steve Gooch, who recorded the video and has been a local surfer for four decades, said traffic at Shortland Esplanade "did not move an inch" for at least 90 minutes from 10am on Sunday.
He said he was stuck in traffic at the Cowrie Hole and walked to the Zaara Street intersection to see what the hold-up was.
Mr Gooch said he found workers playing on their phones - he alleges one of them swore at him when he asked what was going on.
"I implored them to open the lane south behind to clear the traffic to Watt Street but they wouldn't," Mr Gooch said.
"On my [way] back, two women in cars asked me what was going on and they were crying as they had very young children in their cars and had rang police for help.
"The ambivalence of the authorities and stupidity of the traffic control and the very fact that they were letting cars in to keep feeding the mass was disgraceful and stupidity on a level I had never witnessed in my 53 years in Newcastle."
Mr Gooch said, as he was trying to tell people who were entering the queue to turn around, a traffic controller yelled at him.
"I was then told I shouldn't have come to the beach on a sunny day," he said.
"The surf yesterday was the best it had been in weeks."
Roger Weeks, Transport for NSW executive director of customer coordination, said a range of forms of notification regarding changed traffic conditions had been sent out, but that people should look at the NSW Live Traffic website or Google Maps for up-to-date conditions on potentially congested roads in the East End.
He said people were being encouraged to use public transport to get into the city and leave their cars at home.
Mr Weeks said there was a "confluence of events" on Sunday morning which caused the traffic congestion and a review would be conducted.
He said some immediate measures were taken - including calling for police help and removing some barriers - but there was still a delay of more than two and a half hours for motorists.
"As per the plan, which was the same plan we had in 2019, from about four in the morning that part of the network was taken to a one-way loop," he said.
"And then Watt Street between Scott and King was closed to enable the construction of the pedestrian bridge for the event on the weekend and of course Sunday was a lovely day so those three events meant there was significant traffic in that part of the network.
"Obviously it was a gorgeous weekend so you can understand why people would want to be out and about.
"Events like this, it's not possible to not have an impact on the road network. The key message is plan ahead."
According to the latest work notice from Supercars, one-way access to Wharf Road, Watt Street and Horseshoe Beach Road is in place until 6am on March 14.
Pedestrian access remains available to all beaches during work but alternative routes are in place - the Wharf Road path will close at midday on Thursday.
The Foreshore Park playground will be open until race weekend but the carpark is closed, along with carparks at Horseshoe Beach Road, Nobbys Beach and several others in the area.
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