With thousands of Canberrans flocking to the south coast for summer holidays, the prospect of a Braidwood bypass on the Kings Highway continues to be a controversial subject.
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Calls for a bypass from Canberrans who are forced to slow down while passing through the small town irk some local businesses and please those who seek answers to traffic congestion over summer.
NRMA ACT director Alan Evans has routinely called for upgrades to the King's Highway to improve safety and believes a bypass through Braidwood would be a positive move.
"I think Braidwood is a prime candidate for a bypass as it's an urban village with a lot of people living there now who don't work there and want the nice quiet lifestyle."
"The King's Highway is a road with a high traffic volume over the summer period with many motorists demonstrating a burning desire to get down and back from the coast as quick as possible," he said.
But Palerang councillor and local resident Paul Cockram said any discussion of a bypass needed to consider the wishes of the local economy and residents.
"The businesses in Braidwood that rely on the through traffic where people stop and buy a cup of coffee would be losers should a bypass go ahead," he said.
"The benefit of the road through here is mainly for ACT residents but the road is of course are paid for by the NSW government
"While it might benefit the drivers of the ACT to have a faster route through to the beach it doesn't hold much weight with the RMS who have a backlog of bypasses that they are still building along the Princes Highway"
Mr Evans said Canberrans frustrated by delays on the Kings Highway should be more patient on the often busy and dangerous road.
"Something just happens to people during this time as they take risks and pass one or two cars but only end up a few metres ahead by the time they get to the Batemans Bay turn off."
Two pedestrian crossings were installed in Braidwood in November after a lengthy campaign from elderly residents concerned about traffic and speed limits were lowered into the town last year.
Mr Cockram said the prospect of a bypass was routinely discussed during busy summer periods where many residents felt overcome with an influx of through traffic from Canberra.
"A bypass would bring a huge drop in the number of cars and boats travelling through the town, people who just want to get from Canberra or Queanbeyan to Batemans Bay to have their day on the water," he said.
Mr Cockram said Braidwood was a natural stopping point for many people travelling from Canberra as it was "a bladder's distance from Canberra".
"I think the Braidwood businesses would suffer if there was a bypass and I think one of the arguments against it is there isn't a lot of traffic through the year, just the long weekends and the summer period," he said.
"To build a road that is going to be 10 kilometres long and cost hundreds of millions of dollars though land that has to be acquired to probably a project that somewhere off in the distance"
