Route 'can Cope With Expansion'

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday June 17, 2008

By JODIE MINUS

MINISTER for Police and the Illawarra David Campbell believes Picton Rd has the capacity to cope with the Port Kembla expansion, despite contrary reports from police, AusLink and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

"The road safety issues that we are talking about are not related to port expansion," Mr Campbell told the Mercury yesterday.

"The road has capacity for the increase in traffic ... all of the planning studies for the port have indicated that the road has capacity for all the additional traffic.

"Those are the studies that supported the planning approval."

The Mercury found only one reference to Picton Rd in the December 2005 Environmental Assessment Report cited by the Minister. It was in a discussion about access arrangements and said the proposed truck route to and from Sydney included Tom Thumb Rd, Springhill Rd, Masters Rd, the Southern Freeway and Mt Ousley Rd.

"Picton Rd or Appin Rd could also be used to access western Sydney," the report said.

"All of these roads are approved for B-Double access and are currently used for truck travel."

There was no other mention of Picton Rd in the report.

According to Wollongong highway patrol supervisor, Sergeant Stewart Arnold, it is the high number of heavy vehicles using the road that has worn its surface, creating indentations where water pools during wet weather.

Sgt Arnold told the Mercury in May that Picton Rd had become a busy thoroughfare for drivers heading north on the Hume Hwy and traffic would only increase with the Port Kembla expansion.

The Howard government's 2007 AusLink Sydney-Wollongong Corridor Strategy study said capacity improvements to Picton Rd should be a short-term priority.

It said that while 11,700 vehicles used the road daily, this would rise with the Port Kembla expansion and the arrival of 250,000 new cars at the port annually.

About half of these cars would be delivered by B-Double road transport to western Sydney for pre-delivery inspection.

"Allowing for both single run and return trips, this is estimated to result in an additional 93,750 truck movements per year," the AusLink report said.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said in 2005 that the increase in traffic congestion, noise and pollution on Picton Rd would make it less safe for drivers.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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