Infrastructure services director at Eurobodalla Shire Council, Warren Sharpe, says pressure is mounting to fix the Princes Highway – in particular, the “appalling” section between Mogo and Batemans Bay.
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He has called for urgent attention to dangerous sections of the highway from Nowra to Moruya, and then to the border.
“I absolutely support the Fairfax Media FIX IT NOW campaign,” Mr Sharpe said.
“The Princes and Kings highways are absolutely vital for our economic and social well-being, because most people come here by car – only a very small percentage will come by plane, and there’s really no other way to get here, unless you’re sailing down the coast in your 100-footer.
“We agree with the minister (Bega MP and NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance) that they’ve got to start working on a four-lane road south of Nowra to the Victorian border, but first of all to Moruya.
“The reason for Moruya is the industrial area sits just to the north, and it’s a vital hub in terms of our shire’s economy.”
It has an appalling safety record – people call it the Mad Mile for a reason
- Warren Sharpe
Mr Sharpe said safety was another compelling reason to upgrade the highway, and to realign the four-kilometre section of highway south of Batemans Bay known as the Mad Mile.
“If you look at the traffic volumes, particularly between Mogo and Batemans Bay, they’re some of the highest south of Nowra,” he said.
“The growth rate on that section of road in between Mogo and Batemans Bay is going to be very high, because you’ve got a lot of development occurring at Broulee, Tomakin and Rosedale.
“Tomakin Road will become busier and more traffic will use the Princes Highway.
“It has an appalling safety record – people call it the Mad Mile for a reason.”
Mr Sharpe said crash statistics could mislead.
The crash rate is more than 20 times a road of similar ilk
- Warren Sharpe
“The way the RMS analyse these statistics, they look at crash rates,” he said.
“If you just look at the figures they’ve published, they give you the impression that things are okay between Batemans Bay and Moruya, although it’s higher than comparable roads in NSW.
“But if you look at the four-kilometre section immediately south of Batemans Bay, the crash rate is more than 20 times a road of similar ilk across NSW.
“That is really calling out for more serious action.”
Despite arguments that better safety was simply a matter of driving to the conditions, Mr Sharpe said the crash rate showed otherwise.
“There’s no question people have to drive to the conditions, but, for whatever the reasons are, it’s not working,” he said.
“On sections of road like that, where you have an abnormally high crash rate, you really have to look beyond the current solution towards something better; better here can only mean realignment of that section of road.
If we can get the federal government on board as we move into the next election we can really move ahead
- Warren Sharpe
“Sometimes you have the opportunity to widen shoulders, put fencing in, put a central median in, and all those things have been done, yet the crash rates remain high, and it’s a very uncomfortable section of road to drive.
“It’s also got very steep grades for trucks, so it’s not a great road to have as your main highway transport route, and there’s no connection to the link road (under construction south of Batemans Bay industrial area).
“There’s multiple reasons for doing that section of road well.”
Mr Sharpe said the 80/20 funding up for grabs when the current federal-state agreement expires in 2020 should flow south.
“If we can get the federal government on board as we move into the next election we can really move ahead and we can get a much safer outcome,” he said.
