Appin Rd safety upgrades set to start

IT’S been a long time coming but works to upgrade Appin Rd have finally begun.

Angus Taylor marks the start of the upgrade to Appin Rd.

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IT’S been a long time coming but works to upgrade Appin Rd have finally begun.

While the promised dual carriageway has not yet been announced, safety works have started which will see tactile line marking, signage and more guide posts installed.

Hume federal Liberal MP Angus Taylor said the works were the first stage and further upgrade works were not far off.

Angus Taylor and Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher at Appin Rd.

“The Federal Government committed $50 million at the last election even though it’s a state road because we recognise the importance of upgrading Appin Rd,” Mr Taylor said.

“This is the first of the initiatives to improve safety on Appin Rd; we’ll be taking out dangerous objects such as tree stumps and installing tactile line marking.

“Further work will come a bit later which includes addressing some of the curves in the road and overtaking lanes.”

Mr Taylor said the works were an important first step and emphasised the long-promised duplication of Appin Rd into a dual carriageway would not be far off.

“Part of this money goes to planning for the full duplication,” he said.

Mr Taylor said the Government understood the need to get moving on Appin Rd upgrades given a recent development application by developer Lendlease to begin clearing vegetation at Mt Gilead, in anticipation of a new housing development.

Mr Taylor said fauna protection measures such as protective fencing were being investigated by the NSW Government as part of the works.

Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said Appin Rd was a key link for more than 10,000 drivers travelling between Sydney and the Illawarra each day.

“These works are essential to ensure the safety of road users using this stretch of Appin Rd,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Work is also progressing on the design for an overtaking lane, curve realignment and road safety barriers in the area.”

Michael Freelander and Campbelltown MP Greg Warren have long called for upgrades to Appin Rd before development moved in.

But Macarthur federal Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander said the works were being delivered “too late”.

Dr Freelander said the Federal Government had since the 2016 election to start work on the road, when both parties committed $50 million alongside State Government and developer funding commitments.

“I’m concerned we’re going to see houses start being built before any significant work to Appin Rd,” he said.

Dr Freelander said a full commitment was yet to be made on a number of safety features.

“Two years after the election, the Federal Liberal Government has finally moved to remove

50 tree stumps,” he said.

“There is yet to be a commitment or work to begin on a dual carriage way, barriers on each side and in the middle, a public transport corridor and a wildlife corridor.

“If the Federal Government is as sincere about the safety of our region as they seemed

during the 2016 election, more than $5 million would have been allocated to Appin Rd in

the 2016-17 budget”