Safety, industry and tourism would guide the Coalition's promised $500 million investment in the Princes Highway, the Deputy Prime Minister says.
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Michael McCormack, who is also Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Minister, said a re-elected Coalition government's decisions would be guided by the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy.
"We will target our investment in order to improve safety, reduce travel times and support local industry and tourism," Mr McCormack said.
"Decisions on priority projects will be in consultation with the New South Wales Government and be informed by the Princes Highway Corridor Strategy, the development of which was initiated by the Australian Government.
"Potential investment opportunities include road widening, safety upgrades, new overtaking lanes, duplication along key sections and town bypasses, so this really is exciting news for communities up and down the South Coast who will be able to get home sooner and safer."
Gilmore Liberal candidate Warren Mundine congratulated South Coast communities who have pushed for a safer highway, including this masthead's FIX IT NOW campaign.
"Congratulations to the South Coast communities who fought so hard for the highway to get its fair share of State and Federal funding for essential safety upgrades," Mr Mundine said.
"Many people have been involved in securing this funding and I'm so grateful to be a small part of this. There's more to be done, but this initial investment will tackle the immediate safety concerns along the route.
"I'd also like to thank the South Coast Register, the Milton-Ulladulla Times and the Bay Post/Moruya Examiner, for essential work spearheading the FIX IT NOW campaign.
"One of the first things I did after I was endorsed was tour the Princes Highway with South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times editor John Hanscombe.
"We stopped to examine the most dangerous stretches, where so many lives have been cut short. The safety and prosperity of the South Coast community relies on these upgrades."
He said the investment would lead to "about 1,800 direct and indirect jobs".
"This investment is a boon for our local economy, improving freight routes and generating local construction jobs."
