Alison Murray, the Sussex Inlet widow whose story helped launch the FIX IT NOW campaign in 2018, is cautiously optimistic about recent funding announcements for the Princes Highway.
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However, she said she would only be satisfied when she saw work begin on the troubled highway.
"I know these things take time and while I'm pleased about the funding announcements from the state and federal governments, I want to see the work actually begin.
"I want to see the signs go up on the highway saying the funding has been allocated with a schedule for the work to be completed."
Just before the NSW election, the Coalition pledged $960 million to upgrade the highway between the Jervis Bay turnoff and Sussex Inlet Road. And in the April 2 federal budget the Morrison government committed $500 million to the highway.
"It is progress and it is good to see," Ms Murray said.
"But let's see the work begin."
As the FIX IT NOW campaign gathered pace last year, Ms Murray's story appeared to catch the attention of state and federal politicians, including then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
She lost her husband Gavin in December 2015 when a truck lost control and collided with his vehicle just south of the Island Point Road intersection.
"Gavin and Darcy had left to drive Nowra to pick up some tools. Jules stayed at the shop with me. They got five minutes up the road," Alison recalls.
A fully laden refrigerated semi trailer lost control about 500 metres south of the Island Point Road intersection, slid and came to rest on the four-wheel-drive Gavin was driving. He was critically injured but Darcy, then three years old, escaped any serious injury.
It was about 3pm.
The widow contacted Fairfax Media after learning about the FIX IT NOW campaign. She wanted to add her voice to the growing clamour for a complete highway upgrade south of the Jervis Bay Road turnoff.
"I do wonder if it had been a dual carriageway, if there had been a divider on that road, whether the outcome would have been the same.
"I don't think so because the truck driver had gone across the other side of the road," she said at the time.
A year later, Ms Murray said she had been a little disappointed to see highway funding turn into a political football during the NSW election.
"Come election time, there is always a lot of talk. We really need to see the work begin."
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