The Labor Party has called on the state government to take action on the safety of the highway at Faulconbridge.
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle said residents have voiced concerns about the road’s safety after a series of recent accidents and near-misses near the Bellevue Road intersection.
But NSW roads minister Duncan Gay dismissed the call, saying crash data doesn’t back Labor’s concerns.
“When it comes to building critical transport and road infrastructure, NSW Labor couldn’t knock the top off a rice pudding,” he said. “They have shown this time and time again.”
Ms Doyle took Labor’s roads spokeswoman Jodi McKay on an inspection of the highway last month, along with Blue Mountains councillors Annette Bennett and Romola Hollywood.
Blue Mountains City Council has indicated it has safety concerns about this section of the highway, and has lobbied Mr Gay.
But a spokesperson for Mr Gay’s office said analysis of crash data from a recent safety audit along the highway near the Bellevue Road intersection showed no particular trends or crash patterns.
“Roads and Maritime is carrying out a review of speed limits along the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains and will continue to monitor safety on the road network in the area,” the spokesperson said.
Ms McKay said “there are clearly issues along the highway which warrant further investigation, and the responsible thing to do would be to look at what could be done to improve the safety of motorists and residents”, she said.
“This is a section of highway that was built a long time ago, to standards that have long been superseded.
“It’s therefore fitting that Roads and Maritime Services should go back and see what needs to change to ensure the Great Western Highway is safe.”
Ms Doyle said the westbound section of this part of the highway “becomes a skidpan” in wet weather.
“Add to the fact there is no centre barriers and the difficulties cars have entering or leaving the highway across unsealed shoulders, and the risk factors mount higher and higher.”
Cr Bennett said council has been trying to work with the RMS and the state government to ensure that motorists can fill up at the independent service station and return to the highway safely, “but now we are being stonewalled”.
“We were so perplexed when the RMS refused to reassess this stretch of highway that we resolved to undertake our own study, using our own staff, and we will present the findings to the state government.”