Urgent safety upgrades will begin this week on a notorious stretch of the Princes Highway, which claimed five lives in the fiery Boxing Day crash, ahead of the South Coast’s Easter-tourist rush.
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Work will begin on Wednesday to install about 550 metres of lane dividers and markers between Bendalong Road and Luncheon Creek Road at Mondayong.
The Boxing Day tragedy, in which Ulladulla man, Craig Whitall, crossed the centre line and slammed head-on into the Falkholt family from Ryde, has become the face of the state’s escalating road toll.
Minister for Roads Maritime and Freight Melinda Pavey said the NSW Government will install a wire rope safety barrier and audio tactile line marking along the median strip between the two points.
“We all remember the serious crash that happened on Boxing Day,” she said.
“Simple infrastructure like this $350,000 work the NSW Government is doing at Bendalong will prevent accidents like that happening.”
Mrs Pavey said the recently announced Road Safety Plan 2021 provides priority details about upgrades that can help save lives on state’s roads.
“The road toll in 2017 was tragic, with 392 people dying on our roads,” she said.
“Almost eight in 10 fatalities on country roads, where speed limit is 100 kilometers per hour or higher, involved the vehicle crossing the centre line or running off the road to the left.
“Many of these crashes can be avoided with simple road infrastructure upgrades.
“This will be the first of around 1600 kilometres of rumble strips and up to 300 kilometres of life-saving flexible barriers and other targeted safety works across the state as part of the Road Safety Plan.”
Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock said in five years to December 2016 there were two crashes recorded on this stretch of the highway which resulted in four people being injured, three seriously.
“One serious injury crash was determined to have involved excessive speed with a single vehicle leaving the road on a curve and one involved a left turning vehicle at the intersection of Bendalong Road,” she said.
“Work will involve widening the median along this stretch of the Princes Highway, as well as installing a wire rope safety barrier and audio tactile line marking to improve safety for all road users.
“Crews will also work hard to make changes to the southbound overtaking lane including installing audio tactile markings and painting the median between Luncheon Creek Road and the overtaking lane.”
Mrs Pavey said the Princes Highway is a major transport thoroughfare, connecting Sydney to the Victoria border, that carries thousands of vehicles every day so it is important to ensure it is safe for all road users.
“In the last five years, the NSW Government has invested more than $1 billion upgrading the Princes Highway south of Wollongong including major upgrades such as Gerringong upgrade, Foxground to Berry Bypass, Termeil Creek upgrade, Burrill Lake Bridge upgrade and South Nowra upgrade,” Mrs Pavey said.
“Further upgrades are being carried out along the Princes Highway including the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade and Dignams Creek upgrade with planning in full swing for the Albion Park Rail bypass and new bridges at Batemans Bay and Nowra.
“This spend is unprecedented and the NSW Government will continue to provide safer and upgraded roads for all motorists.”
