NRMA president Alan Evans completed his three-day Princes Highway road trip on Friday more convinced than ever that the South Coast’s main transport artery needed an immediate and hefty injection of funds.
Mr Evans said after witnessing a number of near misses, and almost being involved in an accident himself, he was certain the Princes Highway remained one of the most dangerous roads in NSW.
One incident occurred on an infamous stretch of the highway at Dignams Creek near Tilba Tilba.
“Just past Dignams Creek a car came around the corner on the wrong side of the road,” Mr Evans said.
“We had nowhere to go. It was either hit a car or hit a wall. Thankfully, the other driver corrected themself before it was too late.
“But it really struck home just how dangerous the road is. A lot of the motorists are very unfamiliar with the road.”
After completing the drive from Wollongong to Eden, Mr Evans renewed his call for governments to spend $1 billion on the highway.
“There are so many kilometres, especially down south, that are bad roads, and the traffic is increasing,” he said.
State Member for South Coast and Shadow Parliamentary Transport Secretary Shelley Hancock joined Mr Evans in calling for a massive funding injection to improve the “dire” state of the Princes Highway.
Mrs Hancock agreed with Mr Evans’ comments that South Coast residents had missed out on their fair share of Federal Government funding following the collection of $15 billion in fuel excise tax.
Mr Evans noted that less than $3 billion of the $15 billion raised from the tax was spent on roads.
“The original concept of the tax was for all of the funds collected to be spent on road improvements,” Mr Evans said.
Mrs Hancock also took the opportunity to bring to Mr Evans’ attention the need for further upgrades to the Princes Highway from South Nowra to Forest Road.
“This upgrade would be a natural progression from the Forest Road to Jervis Bay Road safety improvement, currently under construction,” Mrs Hancock said.
“There is an even stronger need to upgrade this section of the highway with construction of the correctional facility due to commence shortly, and the infrastructure to cope with construction phase traffic and future increases in vehicle movement is a necessity.
“The government has reneged on its commitment to construct a roundabout at Warra Warra Road and now Central Avenue at South Nowra will be used as main access to the site, inconveniencing businesses and residents and no doubt degrading this piece of highway.
“The recent findings from the coronial inquest into the Princes Highway focused on upgrades to the south of the State but also included the steep drop-offs, unsealed shoulders and narrow lanes that South Coast residents face on a daily basis,” she said.
Mr Evans said that the State Government reneging on its $500,000 commitment to build a roundabout at Warra Warra Road concerned the NRMA, as did the expenditure on the recent construction of a pedestrian refuge on the Princes Highway at South Nowra.