Unfortunately for regular users of the Forster Tuncurry bridge there is no good news for the foreseeable future.

Holiday traffic congestion will continue for at least another decade with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) ruling out construction of a second bridge.

According to Member for Myall Lakes, Stephen Bromhead, with an estimated cost of approximately $200 million a second bridge was not on the drawing board

However, Mr Bromhead said he would continue to push for ways to ease traffic congestion.

They need to look at and review their plans for the next 5-10 years, and traffic flow on both sides of the bridge, Mr Bromhead said.

He suggested looking into the roundabouts and traffic lights on the main thoroughfare between Forster and Tuncurry.

Regular bridge commuter and Tuncurry resident, Leon Austin,  described traffic conditions during this summer holiday season as absolutely horrific.

Traffic was as bad as always at this time of the year, Mr Austin said.

“We are getting to the stage when it needs to get fixed; we need to duplicate the bridge.”

In the meantime Mr Austin said the RMS could consider redirecting traffic around the ‘back of Tuncurry’ and improving the merge situation on to the bridge.

“This year we were lucky not to have any major breakdowns.”

Mayor David West agreed the only real solution was the construction of a second bridge.

“In reality this is the only way we can alleviate the problem, and we have to look at it,” he said.

But, if we get a second bridge, where does it go, and at what cost to existing infrastructure, Cr West asked?

Cr West said the appeal of the Great Lakes to mainly city-based visitors – which he described as MidCoast Council’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – was the slower pace and its natural attractions.

To make up for dealing with the traffic we need to offer them a unique experience, he said.

During the holiday peak hour(s) a return trip from Tuncurry to Forster was taking some motorists between 30 and 40 minutes, with traffic banked back on both sides of the bridge for kilometres.

Some motorists frustrated with slow movement on the bridge are taking unnecessary risks.

This morning, Friday, January 1 an impatient northbound driver attempted to overtake another vehicle, crossing double lines on the bridge.

The woman driver only backed off when faced with on-coming traffic.