Now we have the Great Hole of Merrigang Street.

It’s not Wingecarribee Council’s fault that a water main chose to burst at the start of Tulip Time, sending water cascading down the Merrigang Street on Monday, creating traffic chaos at school pick-up time, and leaving a crater in the road that will be the main access to Corbett Gardens for many Tulip Time visitors in the next two weeks.

But the super pothole – now filled – underlines the poor state of this street, a subject of frequent complaints from both residents and visitors.

Yes, there are many streets in poor condition in the Southern Highlands and no doubt many in a worse condition than this and rightly higher on the priority list.

But Merrigang Street, although not a main thoroughfare through the shopping centre, bears the brunt of a lot of traffic: Vehicles to and from East Bowral, parents heading to Bowral Public School each morning and afternoon, people heading to and from the Merrigang Street carpark, and shoppers in general.

Since there is no right turn out of Bundaroo Street to Bong Bong Street, no access to Bong Bong Street from Wingecarribee Street, and no right hand turn into Bong Bong Street at the traffic lights at Boolwey Street, Merrigang Street is the only way drivers heading towards Mittagong from the eastern side of the road can go.

The burst water main might be a good excuse for Wingecarribee Shire to have another look at its roadworks priorities and where Merrigang Street ranks.