By Maddie Adams
Potholes have become permanent residents of the one-way shared space on Old Barrenjoey Road in Avalon Beach.
Worsened by this month’s record-breaking rainfall as well as Sydney Water’s ongoing replacement of a crucial 500m section of the water main, driving down here feels like running the gauntlet – an ordeal where your tyres, wheels and suspension are all at stake.
Completed in March 2023 as part of Northern Beaches Council’s Avalon Place Plan (2022), the transformation of Old Barrenjoey Road North into a 10km/h shared zone attempted to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at the infamously dangerous intersection of Old Barrenjoey Road and Avalon Parade.
While the changing of the intersection has long been a hotly contested issue, the initial trial of the “Streets as Shared Spaces” action became permanent in August 2024 as a result of overwhelmingly positive local community support.
However, Avalon residents have grown increasingly unhappy with the state of the road, taking to the local Facebook community group “Avalon What’s On” to vent their frustrations and share their most unflattering pictures of the deteriorating thoroughfare.
Although both Sydney Water and the council have attempted to fix the worst parts of Old Barrenjoey Road, delays in remediation of the road surface, unavailability of proper machinery and mistakes with laying bitumen have resulted in potholes verging on craters and flooding over the footpaths, pedestrian ramps and up to the shop fronts.
More than just an eyesore, potholes pose significant risks for vehicles as well as elderly and disabled pedestrians who need to navigate the uneven surfaces to cross the shared space. It is evident that Old Barrenjoey Road North requires a complete makeover before the warmer (and busier) months arrive.
While the town waits impatiently for more substantial council action, the potholes remain an embarrassing and unsightly blemish on a beloved village space that celebrates its natural coastal beauty, slow living and local community spirit.
Featured image: Heading south on Old Barrenjoey Road towards the main intersection. Pictures: Maddie Adams
