After almost five years of lobbying by locals at the Coorabell end of Coolamon Scenic Drive, their concerns about road safety will be acted on.
A $1.5m allocation has been made to upgrade 16.5km of the road by Transport for NSW for a range of improvements, as part of the 2019–20 funding program.
This follows over twenty-three crashes in five years, an average of 1,362 vehicle movements a day, and an independent road safety audit that found various ‘intolerable’ risks on an 11.3km stretch of the road between Goonengerry Road and the Pacific Highway.
Anthony Stante spearheaded the campaign and told The Echo, ‘We are pleased to see the funding finally come through, after four to five years of bringing the road safety issue to Council’s attention.’
‘Safety concerns, agreed by Council’s own traffic committee in early 2015, should not take so long to action.
‘Multiple serious accidents have occurred in this time as a direct result of the condition of this busy road.
‘Safety concerns were brought to a head in 2016, when our road was signposted as a tourist route, directing more traffic our way without consultation from either RMS or Council with the local residents who live on the road,’ he explained.
“Safety concerns, agreed by Council’s own traffic committee in early 2015 …”
Better this late than never.
Let’s hope that project, and further overdue road and infrastructure work, sees rapid action after god knows how many meetings of councillors, committees, consultants (and “community”?). So many gabfests required …