Picton Road needs more overtaking lanes, according to a federal government body.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Infrastructure Australia has added Picton Road to its national priority list for the first time.
The list is used by governments as a guide for their own infrastructure projects.
Picton Road made the list for the first time due to increased traffic which caused "significant delays and safety issues along the route".
"This is resulting in longer travel times and high crash rates," the priority list stated.
Between October 2012 and September 2017 it noted there were six fatal crashes and 30 serious injury crashes - almost 2.5 times the NSW average.
Adding more overtaking lanes was one of several options for Picton Road included on the list.
The other included upgrading intersections, adding traffic signals and providing central barriers.
The priority list gives work on Picton Road a "medium term" timescale, meaning it would need to start between five to 10 years from now.
Several other Illawarra projects remained on the list, and none had been bumped off for Picton Road.
RDA Illawarra CEO Debra Murphy said including Picton Road on the list was "an important statement".
"It is a recognition of the growing importance of physical connectivity between south-western Sydney and the Illawarra region," Ms Murphy said.
"Infrastructure Australia priorities inform governments, which can effectively improve their focus on moving this critical road forward and get commitments.
READ MORE: Sacking of Aussie seafarers "a disgrace"
"However, it would have been better if Picton Road was noted on the list as a High Priority and Near Term (in lieu of medium term)."
Among the other Illawarra projects that made the list was the need to address freight rail traffic to and from Port Kembla.
Identifying Port Kembla as "a significant economic asset", the list noted freight services were often held up for hours as passenger services were given priority.
A lack of action on the Maldon-Dombarton line concerned Illawarra Business Chamber executive director Adam Zarth.
"It makes for concerning reading when you have the federal government’s independent infrastructure advisor indicating that a lack of suitable freight rail access to Port Kembla is causing services to be held for up to 11 hours while there is no solution on the table," Mr Zarth said.