The rumble of trucks along Italia Road, East Seaham starts at about 5am.
The once relatively quiet,winding, narrow rural road that turns off the Pacific Highway north of Raymond Terrace has become a 90kmh rat-run for laden and unladen heavy vehicles going to and from various quarries in the area.
Multiple shattered windscreens from passing trucks and the screech of power brakes are one thing, but safety is the overriding concern for residents.
The condition of Italia Road was a contributing factor in an accident that killed popular local man 26-year-old Ben Langdon last year. Mr Langdon's vehicle left the road and crashed into trees just before 5.30am on June 11.
Rebecca Beetson recalled her own close call with a truck just before Christmas.
"I was approaching a bend and was greeted by a speeding truck that couldn't negotiate the road. He was in the middle of it and left me nowhere to go. I had to get off the road the best I could and ended up in the driveway of Hunter Water," she said.
"How many times do people have to put up with that risk just to go work?"
Neighbour Charlee Connor said turning into her driveway was hazardous.
"My place is on a double yellow line but the trucks won't slow down for me to go into my driveway. They just go around you," Ms Connor said.
"They are frightening. You can't walk on the road. You have to jump into the bushes every few minutes because the trucks are coming down that fast."
With few places to pull over, the safety of school buses is a constant worry.
"To see trucks hurtling along there at 3pm when you know a school bus is coming is not a nice feeling. The school buses can't get off the road because there is nowhere to stop. The school bus only stops on the other side of the road. There is no way I would let my 9-year-old cross the road by himself," Ms Beetson said.
Port Stephens Council's Asset Section Manager John Maretich said most quarries within the local government area were located close to state government managed roads, however, the trucks also used council managed roads.
"As part of the DA process for a rock quarry, modelling is undertaken to determine the impact on council roads. This modelling defines a 'heavy haulage levy' payable to council by the applicant," he said.
"The 'heavy haulage levy goes directly towards the maintenance of the council roads that are traversed.
"Council continues to advocate for government funding to assist in the upgrade and maintenance of the extensive road network across Port Stephens."
