Someone is killed or seriously injured on NSW roads every 41 minutes.
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In 2017, 392 people lost their lives on NSW roads, including 10 people on South Coast roads, five of whom died as a result of the fiery Boxing Day crash north of the Bendalong turnoff.
The NSW Government last week announced a cash injection of $125 million to increase road safety measures across the sate as part of the new Saving Lives on Country Roads program.
As part of the program Roads and Maritime Services will deliver more than $1.5 million in safety improvements along the Princes Highway between Jervis Bay Road and Milton, before June 2019.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said this will include intersection improvements and road shoulder widening.
Across the state 1600 kilometres of rumble strips and 300 kilometres of wire rope barriers, which will help prevent vehicles from straying to the wrong side of the road, will be installed at locations yet to be finalised.
“Given the recent tragic incidents on our roads I have asked for the section at Bendalong on the Princes Highway to be a top priority for these works,” South Coast MP Shelley Hancock said.
“The fact they have identified the Princes Highway as problematic is very good for us.
“I think we’ll come off well.”
The spokesperson said a route safety study would be undertaken to identify road safety and traffic efficiency improvements for the Princes Highway between Jervis Bay Road and Milton.
Along with an overtaking lane study to identify suitable locations between Jervis Bay Road and Milton, Burrill Lake, and Batemans Bay and Narooma for overtaking lanes. However, there are no current plans to widen the highway between Falls Creek and Bega.
“An assessment for the Princes Highway has shown that generally a two lane highway, one lane in each direction, is adequate for the volumes and vehicles travelling on the highway south of Jervis Bay Road,” the spokesperson said.
More than $4.5 million in safety improvement works wer carried out on the stretch of the Princes Highway between Jervis Bay Road and Milton during the last two years, including intersection improvements and road shoulder widening.
