Revealed: The south coast roads with terrible crash statistics

The south coast is home to many roads which have some horrific crash statistics, but which roads are they? Here are some of the most dangerous roads on the south coast:

South Coast worst roads revealed. Pictures: Pothole and Kings Hwy – Tom McGann. Andrew Constance – File.

Between 2017 and 2021, 66 people were killed in car crashes between Eden and Nowra on the state’s south coast.

Unfortunately, roads which connect each town on the south coast all hold horror stories of crashes which caused major injuries, or worse, ended lives.

The South Coast News looked into statistics and spoke to the state government to work out what the most dangerous roads on the south coast were.

Broken Shoalhaven Roads:

The Shoalhaven has a number of roads which have proven to be dangerous, with Currarong Rd near Nowra being a great example of this.

Currarong Community Association president Tony Lund recently ran a campaign to fix Currarong Rd after a young man was seriously injured in a head-on collision.

“The road was getting far too dangerous,” Mr Lund said. “It was 100km long and there were areas where the road was less than 4.5m wide.”

After the head-on crash occurred in late 2019, Mr Lund ran the campaign to have the road fixed.

“57,000 cars travelled along that road during the Christmas period before it was fixed, we found that out through council research,” he said. “It was so clear it needed to be fixed before more people got hurt, or worse.”

Currarong Community Association president Tony Lund (left) with former South Coast state MP Shelley Hancock. Picture: Facebook.

With the help of former South Coast state MP Shelley Hancock and Gilmore federal MP Fiona Phillips, a combined state and federal funding of $3.5m was provided to fix the road.

“It’s good now, but there’s still a lot of dangerous roads which need fixing,” Mr Lund said.

The Shoalhaven region is also filled with roads which have been described as “dangerous” by a former state minister.

In a four-year period, there have been more than 150 car crashes in the Shoalhaven which have included serious injuries.

Former Transport Minister and Bega MP Andrew Constance said the state of Shoalhaven roads was “appalling”.

“It’s just dangerous,” he said.

Former Transport Minister, Andrew Constance. Picture: File.

“Sections of the Princes Hwy south of Nowra need duplication, particularly where there are high crash rates.”

Mr Constance further blamed the large amount of potholes in Shoalhaven roads for being potential crash causes.

“Potholes could literally put cars on the other side of the road if they hit one and cause a crash,” he said.

Notable potholes in the Shoalhaven include a recent crater on Cammary Dr, St Georges Basin, which closed the road for some time.

However, Shoalhaven City Council announced in late 2022 that Shellharbour City Council further north would lend a hand to fill in the potholes causing danger.

The massive pothole which was recently on Cammary Dr, St Georges Basin. Picture: Tom McGann.

Kings Hwy:

The Kings Hwy is an incredibly popular road during the holiday season, however, the road has seen a number of incidents.

Within four years, 11 fatal accidents occurred on the Kings Hwy.

These crashes occurred in the Eurobodalla Shire and Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional area.

The Kings Hwy heading toward Braidwood. Picture: Tom McGann.

During the same time, the highway saw more than 100 other types of crashes, some of which caused serious injuries.

Transport for NSW said it was upgrading the Kings Hwy to make it safer.

“Since 2011 the NSW Government has invested more than $200m in upgrades along the Kings Hwy from Batemans Bay to Queanbeyan,” a spokesman said.

“This includes the $148m Nelligen Bridge Replacement project connecting the Kings Hwy across the Clyde River. The bridge is now open to traffic and the project is due to be complete by the end of 2023.”

The Princes Hwy:

The Princes Hwy is one major transport route which has seen terrible incidents occur.

There were 20 fatal crashes on the Princes Hwy between Eden and Nowra from 2017 to 2021. This sadly resulted in 28 people losing their lives.

The Princes Hwy coming into Batemans Bay. Picture: Tom McGann.

Falls Creek on the Princes Hwy south of Nowra, is known for its dangerous turn toward Jervis Bay. The turn off and stretch of highway has seen 17 incidents within four years, ranging from minor crashes to accidents resulting in major injuries.

The danger this road brings is not lost on Transport for NSW, which is actively working on a solution.

“Early work is now underway to upgrade the Jervis Bay Rd and Princes Hwy intersection, which has been identified as a priority project under the Princes Hwy upgrade program,” a Transport NSW spokesman said. “Major construction is planned to start later in 2023.

“The Jervis Bay Rd intersection will be replaced with a grade separated interchange with an overpass bridge and roundabouts on either side to improve safety and provide a more efficient journey by easing congestion.”

Further south in Ulladulla, the Princes Hwy has again, seen major crashes.

Jessica and Annabelle Falkholt were killed after their car collided with a four-wheel drive on December 26. Picture: File.

In Ulladulla alone, 30 crashes of all kinds occurred within 2017 to 2021, however only one was fatal.

The fatal crash, which occurred in late 2017, made national headlines when it was revealed the victim was former ‘Home And Away’ star, Jessica Falkholt.

The crash in question occurred when 50-year-old Craig Whitall drove his 4WD into Ms Falkholt’s car.

Ms Falkholt, along with her sister, Annabelle, who was also involved in the crash, died days later in St George Hospital.

Statistics listed in this article are directly from the NSW Centre for Road Safety, crash and casualty statistics 2017 – 2021. Data beyond 2021 is not available.