Calls to upgrade Appin Rd after 237 crashes between Campbelltown and Appin in 10 years

Macarthur MP Mike Freelander has labelled Appin Rd between Campbelltown and Appin a “death trap”, calling for it to be widened to four lanes.

Macarthur’s MP has called for one of the region’s most notorious roads to be widened as data reveals there have been more than 200 crashes on the road in the last 10 years.

According to data from Transport for NSW, during 2017 to 2021, there were 81 crashes on Appin Road between Narellan Road and Church Street, none of which were fatal.

During the ten-year period 2012-2021, there were 237 crashes on the same stretch of road. Of these, three were fatal crashes.

Macarthur MP Mike Freelander said the issue of Appin Rd has been at the forefront of the community’s mind for years, dating back to before he entered the political world.

“Since 2015, we have been talking about the development in the area and the need to improve the road not only to protect the wildlife, but also human life,” he said.

“I feel as though I have failed in my job because we haven’t been able to get anything done.”

Roadside memorial of Leisa Shaw who died in a crash on Appin Rd.

Dr Freelander said the state government should have stepped up years ago to fix the road and it has been a case of “wilful neglect”.

“The government can spend billions on stadiums but they can’t spend money on a road that for a few kilometres is a death trap,” he said.

“If you make a mistake on Appin Rd there is no way out and that is the problem. People can say that drivers speed but you can’t just blame people.”

Dr Freelander said the traffic along Appin Rd continues to increase, and more heavy vehicles coming from the Port of Wollongong can be seen using the route as well.

He said the entire length from Campbelltown to Appin should be four lanes.

“We are going to have to chop down some of those trees, which people won’t like, but we are going to have to put safety barriers on and we need to put wildlife overpasses or underpasses,” Dr Freelander said.

“This work needs to start urgently because it will be lifesaving and right now the political system is failing the community.”

Macarthur MP Mike Freelander. Picture: Richard Dobson

When he was re-elected earlier this year, Dr Freelander said one of his priorities would be to push for the Labor Government to commit to funding part of the work.

He said it is a state road, so the NSW Government needed to fix it but he would continue to push for federal funding.

“This is an issue that is very close to my heart so I will be working to get some federal funding but it is a state road and they need to fix it,” Dr Freelander said.

“We have had too many meetings, took many talkfests and no action. We need action now.”

Campbelltown business owner and mother of three April Lawson has lived near the intersection of Appin Rd and Kellerman Dr for two years.

In that time, she has had multiple near misses both as a motorist and a pedestrian.

“I have gone to go around the roundabout and people sometimes come speeding through there, and the visibility is quite low,” she said.

“I think also because it’s so flat, people tend to speed as there aren’t any safety factors.”

Ms Lawson said Appin Rd could benefit from being widened due to the increasing traffic, but she said it was not as simple as just one solution.

She said there needed to be safety features whether that was traffic lights, safety barriers and signage to prevent more tragedies on the road.

“We have had so many people lost on this road and something needs to be done,” Ms Lawson said.

Fatal crash between a car and a coal truck on Appin Rd at Appin in 2016.

“I have three kids and they have been in the car in a near-miss and it is so scary. I think something needs to be done.”

A Transport for NSW spokesman said Appin Rd was an important thoroughfare and there had been significant investments in ongoing upgrades.

He said that the intersection of Narellan Road and Appin Road was upgraded and opened to traffic in May 2019, as part of the $300 million Urban Pinch Points Program.

“In 2016, the Australian Government allocated $72 million towards safety improvements and to support affordable housing, south of the proposed Mt Gilead residential subdivision,” the spokesman said.

“Early works to install audio tactile line-marking treatments, remove tree stumps, improve roadside clear zones and install additional signage and guide posts, were completed in August 2018.

“TfNSW are currently finalising detailed design to upgrade the intersection at Appin Rd and St Johns Rd.”

The spokesman said that planning for further upgrades along Appin Road are being developed to take into account growth in the region and the need to protect important koala corridors.

“Road safety is a key objective when planning roads in NSW,” they said.