The Tuross Head Progress Association is maintaining its pressure on Transport for NSW to step in an "finish the job" in regards to the Tuross Head intersection at the Princes Highway. For many years the community advised Council's Traffic Committee that the intersection was dangerous but the committee, chaired by a blinkered councillor and an indifferent RMS representative continued to say "It is a perfectly acceptable intersection that requires no further attention". But accidents, and several near fatalities forced the TPHA to go to a higher authority. The Federal Government. The THPA made application for funding to improve the sub-standard intersection (that was agreed by RMS engineers to be substandard) and the intersection we have today is a result of continued lobbying and finding support outside the blinkered opinion of indifference. But the THPA is requesting the job be finished. The risks of left hand turns into the township from the highway has been remedied to improve sight distance, the bus stop on the opposite side of the highway has been relocated (after much resistance), a Stop Sign has replaced the Give Way along with installation of concrete medians to separate traffic, increase visibility and protect road users. Now the final step is within sight. The THPA is now seeking that a left hand lane be provided to allow traffic turning left and heading south to do so without the need to queue behind those turning north and waiting for northbound highway traffic. If only Transport for NSW were to agree to it. When asked to consider widening the intersection to allow a better flow for left-turning (southbound) drivers a spokesperson for the Minister for Metropolitan Roads respondedon March 28th, 2022 saying: "In response to your concerns, Transport for NSW carried out a preliminary review of the
location. I am advised that, in the five years ending 2021, there were three crashes at this
intersection, of which, none have involved vehicles turning left out of Hector McWilliam Drive.
I am also advised that there is intersection warning signage on approach for southbound
and northbound motorists and lighting installed at the intersection. The intersection also
allows ample room for road users turning left out of Hector McWilliam Drive to do so without
impacting motorists waiting to turn right". It appears, based on that response that, because there were no accidents associated with vehicles turning left and because of signs and lighting there is no reason to consider the request to improve the intersection for left turning vehicles. The March response was followed by a May 2022 response that stated: The intersection configuration is considered to be of a high standard and the available sight
distance at this intersection exceeds the Australian Standards for safe intersection sight
distance for a 100 km/h zone.
As you may appreciate, when allocating funds, Transport for NSW must direct funds for
projects at sites that demonstrate the greatest need and prioritize intersections with a greater crash history. I note, there were three crashes at this intersection in the five-year period ending 2021 and none of these involved vehicles turning left out of Hector McWilliam Drive.
Transport for NSW will continue to monitor the location to ensure safety for all transport users.
The T4NSW response of March 28th 2022 was debated at a meeting with the senior management of the Eurobodalla Shire Council, and both of the parties present, the Council and the THPA, vehemently disagree with the The T4NSW desktop assessment that there was "ample room for road users turning left out of Hector McWilliam Drive to do so without impacting motorists waiting to turn right "
Above: This photograph, taken on 13 Feb 22, shows the concrete kerbing that THPA believe should be removed to restore ample room to accommodate a left hand turn traffic exiting
Hector McWilliam Drive to turn south onto the Princes Highway.
John Tilbrook, Secretary of the THPA said "This is simply not true, and indeed the end of Hector McWilliam Drive where the available width of road pavement adjoins the Princes Highway at the “T” intersection, is actually a vehicular traffic “pinch point”.
"An onsite inspection and traffic flow observations, particularly at peak traffic times, will show the need for the long awaited dedicated “left hand slip lane” for those vehicles waiting to exit Hector McWilliam Drive and to turn south onto the Princes Highway."
"The need for a dedicated left hand turn slip lane was originally mooted in the very first THPA submission to the RMS for the road safety upgrade that initially lodged with the then RMS in back early 2016. "There is indeed ample room for a left hand turn traffic manoeuvre, BUT only if the temporary concrete kerbing that was installed on the southern side of the roadway pavement at the end of Hector McWilliam Drive is demolished so as to remove the aforementioned traffic “pinch point”.
"The construction of the dedicated left hand turn slip lane was not able to be completed by the RMS when the $1.4m road safety upgrade was carried out between June and October 2018, as there still remained the need to cater for a passenger bus layby on the Princes Highway just 50 metres south of Hector McWilliam Drive. "This unsatisfactory ad hoc bus layby arrangement was achieved by utilising a section of the roadside verge in the high speed stretch of the Princes Highway so as to be able to continue to accommodate interstate passenger buses to embark and disembark passengers on the side of the Princes Highway. "This temporary engineering compromise was adopted because at that time in 2018 the RMS had adopted the firm position that there were insufficient funds within the $1.4m Federal Governments regional roads grants funding to be able to relocate the dangerous two bus stops on the Princes Highway into the newly constructed long-stay commuter carpark crated at that “T ”intersection", Mr Tilbrook said.
The THPA has now requested the T4NSW to "make arrangements for a fact finding on-site traffic flow inspection at the “T” intersection, to be attended by representatives from the Eurobodalla Shire Council, Councils Local Roads and Traffic Committee, as well as members of the THPA executive committee.
In the meantime the THPA will continue to lobby all Federal and State Government sources to obtain the necessary regional roads grants funding to complete which the THPA has labelled Stage 3 of the Road Safety Upgrade at the “T” intersection. Given that Transport for NSW has stated "when allocating funds, Transport for NSW must direct funds for projects at sites that demonstrate the greatest need and prioritize intersections with a greater crash history the THPA have request that Transport for NSW outline a cost estimate for construction of a dedicated Left Hand Turn Traffic Slip Lane for vehicles exiting Hector McWilliam Drive to turn south onto the Princes Highway. The THPA will then use that estimated shovel ready costing to pursue avenues for the necessary regional roads fundings. The question to be asked now is "the THPA was successful in obtaining sufficient funds for T4NSW under a Federal Government regional roads infrastructure funding grant to construct a left hand turn lane at this intersection, would this THPA funding initiative be supported NSW Minister for Transport’s claimed long term vision to improve the road safety along the length of the Princes Highway from Berry to the Victorian border, or does the intersection need to first gain "a greater crash history".
