The Tuross Head Progress Association recently lodged concerns with Council, the State member (Minister Andrew Constance) the head of the RMS at Wollongong regarding the intersection of Hector McWilliam Drive and the Princes Highway. An onsite safety audit meeting at the T intersection of the Princes Highway and Hector McWilliam Drive has now been organised early in the New Year. Due to the ever present danger to pedestrians walking alongside the highway and crossing the roadways during this audit attendees have been restricted to two executive members of the THPA (Gary Cooper & John Tilbrook), the head of RMS for the southern region (Nathan Boscaro), Warren Sharpe representing the ESC and Deputy Mayor Anthony Mayne who is the Chair of the Eurobodalla Traffic Safety Committee. The identities in this party have been registered with the RMS in the event they are involved in a mishap during the on-site inspection.
Against this background the THPA are now urging members of the Tuross Head community to submit via secretarythpa@gmail.com any meaningful suggestions or observations that they wish the THPA to raise with the RMS at this onsite inspection and safety audit.
Suggestions so far include: - reducing the speed limit on the highway in that section from 100 km per hour to 90 km per hour. - Installation of STOP signs at the end on Hector McWilliam. - That the existing left hand overtaking section of the highway on the northern approach to the T intersection should be extended up to Hector McWilliam Drive - with signage that all traffic in the left hand lane must turn left into Tuross Head. - Move the Bus Stop and shelter from the precinct up to the existing lay-by verge some 100 meters north of its present location. - The laying of Shudder Bars on the road surface of the Princes Highway and on the road surface at the end of Hector McWilliam Drive to physically alert all drivers to the dangers at the well-used intersection. - The construction of a round-about (but this option would be too expensive at a cost of $2m or more). - Redesign the highway and the through traffic lanes to accommodate Gull Wing traffic lanes for all traffic approaches to turn into Hector McWilliam, and Gull Wing feeder lanes for both left and right turn traffic exits out on the highway for that traffic having exited from Hector McWilliam and heading south towards Bodalla or heading north towards Moruya.
More suggestions and ideas, or simply your stories of your experiences at the T intersection to raise with RMS, are invited to reach secretarythpa@gmail.com before 5 Jan 2017.
Above: A random yet typical visual obstruction for drivers from Tuross Head turning north to Moruya with cars from the south travelling at 100kph.
