The “new” Little Forest Road intersection at Milton was officially opened today (Monday, December 19), in time for the Christmas traffic.
The Federal Government has spent $3.2 million relocating the dangerous intersection that joins the Princes Highway, moving it around 380 metres south of the old intersection.
Funding was received for the intersection redevelopment following more than 20-years of complaints from residents.
The location of the intersections on a bend and on the crest of a hill made it difficult for vehicles turning out of Little Forest Road onto the highway.
Little Forest Road residents Jeff Smith and Natalia Goozeff said the former intersection was a nightmare.
“It has been horrendous,” Mr Smith said.
“It’s a blind corner on a hill, probably the worst case scenario you could ever imagine.”
Natalia Goozeff said strategies such as speed reduction and a merging-lane would have been more effective than the re-located intersection.
“I think the intersection is much better with the lowered speed limit during the roadworks,” Ms Goozeff said.
“I can see the speed limit becoming an issue in the future as it returns to 100.”
It was the most dangerous intersection in the Shoalhaven.
- Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock
Mrs Ann Sudmalis said Member for the South Coast Shelley Hancock suggested the project be listed as part of the Gilmore Safety Package during the 2013 election.
Ms Shelley Hancock is a former resident of Little Forest Road, living there for more than 30 years.
She has seen first hand the havoc that the road can cause motorists.
“It was the most dangerous intersection in the Shoalhaven,” Mrs Hancock said.
“I saw lots of crashes and near misses at the intersection.”
Mrs Sudmalis had to lobby the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development for extra funds after the original allocation of funding was short by more than $1 million.
“I have to say, looking at the changed intersection, the effort was absolutely worth it,” Mrs Sudmalis said.
“This was an election commitment and we have been working at every level to have it completed.”
Construction on the project was led by RMS project engineer Craig Bear who had an on-site team of six people, most from the Ulladulla region.
Work began in February 2016 for the project to be finished early next year.
The old Little Forest Road intersection will be barricaded off and the road tarmac will be removed, to be replaced with vegetation in the new year.
This is the second significant road opening for Member for Gilmore Ann Sudmalis in the past week, following the opening the $6.6 million road project on Turpentine Road.
