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Long awaited safety upgrades for Picton Road

Median barriers to reduce risk of head-ons along the notorious NSW arterial

 

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has announced that safety improvements along a 1.7 kilometre section of Picton Road at Cordeaux will commence on May 18.

The dangers of head-on accidents along Picton Road, a major state arterial between Sydney and Wollongong, was revealed in Owner//Driver’s February 2020 edition.

TfNSW regional director southern, Jo Parrott, says the project is part of a $6.9 million package of safety improvements for Picton Road over the next two years funded under the Safer Roads Program.

“This project will improve safety at this location by reducing the risk of head-on crashes, providing a barrier between vehicles and roadside hazards as well as providing more room for vehicles to recover,” Parrott says.

“The improvements will include widening the road to install a median barrier, installing sections of roadside barrier, providing a wider road shoulder and installing vehicle activated signs.”

TfNSW says work will be carried out from Cordeaux Dam Road for about two kilometres east, linking to a new section of median barrier installed on Picton Road last year.


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As part of this work, about 3.7 kilometres of fauna fencing will also be installed to help reduce the risk of vehicle strikes.

Night work will take place between 7pm and 5am from Monday, May 18 until Thursday, May 21. Work will then be carried out between 7am and 6pm weekdays from May 25 with the project expected to be completed by late November.

TfNSW advises that a 60km/h speed limit will be in place during work hours and an 80km/h speed limit will be in place outside of work hours. The road will be reduced to one lane in each direction and concrete barriers will be installed along the westbound lane for the duration of the project.

TfNSW warns that of reduced road shoulders when travelling through the project area.

In addition, there may be intermittent delays to allow access for construction vehicles and wide loads through the site, and motorists should allow up to five minutes additional travel time during work hours.

Electronic message boards will display information in advance of the work site in both directions, including contact details of project traffic controllers for operators of heavy vehicles wider than four metres which will need to be escorted through the site.

However, TfNSW warns that heavy vehicles over 15 metres in length or 12 tonnes in weight are not permitted on Wilton Road at Broughton Pass.

Further night work is expected to take place during the later stages of the project.

As part of this package, safety improvements including line marking to create a wider centre median will also be investigated on Picton Road near Wilton between Macarthur Drive and Almond Street.

TfNSW says a further project is also being investigated to provide a widened centre median on Picton Road between the M1 Princes Motorway and Mount Keira Road.

Photography: Steve Skinner

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