Notorious Coramba Rd black spot to get upgrade after numerous crashes recorded

Year after year this section of road has been the site of countless crashes, finally it is getting some financial attention.

After a string of single vehicle crashes over many years, a notorious black spot on Coramba Rd will get almost $900,000 in upgrades.

The funding was announced on Monday morning at Allison Lipman’s family property and will go toward road widening, barrier installation and pavement correction.

Ms Lipman says there have been 92 crashes at the site since they moved to the area 23 years ago, many of which ended up on their property.

In recent times footage of the crashes have been captured by their neighbour, Tamara Haldon, who has been pleading with Coffs Harbour City Council and the NSW government to take action after seven cars crashed there in the space of 15 months.

Ms Haldon had previously expressed fears her children would one day be first on the scene to a crash and “see something they can’t unsee”.

A car is left upturned after crashing in a ditch at the front of Tamara Haldon’s Coramba Road property.

Or even worse, be hopping on or off the school bus which stops exactly where most of the crashes occur.

In December Council replaced an overtaking lane with double white lines in the belief that some of the crashes may have been caused by people overtaking on the bend.

Three days later Ms Haldon captured the moment a driver in a yellow hatchback narrowly avoided a head on collision and crashed into a ditch on the same stretch of road.

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said the investment through the Safer Roads Program was all about saving lives on our roads.

“A section of Coramba Rd at Karangi has been allocated $898,000 for pavement correction, shoulder widening and guard rail installation,” Mr Singh said.

“Projects like these make a huge difference in our local community, and help ensure everyone who travels on our roads makes it home safely at the end of the day.

This stretch of Coramba Road approaching the Coffs Harbour Lawn Cemetery in Karangi has become notorious for single vehicle crashes in the wet. It will now be upgraded. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Coffs Harbour Mayor Councillor Denise Knight she was grateful to the Federal and State Governments for their contributions to making our roads as safe as possible but also issued a reminder to drivers.

“We also have to remember that the person behind the wheel has a huge responsibility to help keep our roads safe too,” Cr Knight said.

“Please think of your loved ones and the loved ones of everyone else on the road every time you get behind the wheel. Please don’t drink or take drugs and get into the driver’s seat – and drive to the conditions.”