Call to fix dangerous intersection

Prue Car, Alana Wilson and Councillor Aaron Duke at the intersection this week
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Londonderry residents are calling on authorities to fix a notorious accident spot in the local area before more lives are lost.

Local residents Alana Wilson and Aaron Pentecost were recently in an accident at the Londonderry Road intersection with The Driftway, and have launched a petition to improve safety at the site.

The intersection is a high traffic area frequently used by large trucks and is known for being dangerous with accidents occurring regularly including fatalities in 2014 and 2017.

Mr Pentecost believes there are major issues with the intersection that need to be addressed.

“In the accident I had it was 4.30 in the afternoon, the other driver wanted to get home so was impatient trying to get across the intersection looking left and right but not straight ahead and tried to dart across as it is very busy,’’ Mr Pentecost said.

“It is such a straight long road at 80km/h, so you do get a little bit of tunnel vision. A roundabout would give you something to go around and slow down for, which could prevent accidents.”

Contributing to the issue is mixed responsibility for the road, with the RMS controlling Londonderry Road, Hawkesbury Council controlling The Driftway and Penrith Council contributing to maintenance.

An RMS spokesperson said that the NSW Government provided Hawkesbury City Council with funding in 2016-2017 as part of the NSW Government’s Safer Roads Program.

This was used to install vehicle activated signs on The Driftway to alert motorists of the upcoming stop signs.

Jeff Organ, Director of Infrastructure Services for Hawkesbury City Council, said Council has been seeking to improve the safety of the intersection for years, given the number of serious accidents that have occurred.

They approached the RMS in 2015 for a review, which lead to the funding to upgrade the signage.

“Council has again requested Roads and Maritime Services review the safety and functionality of the intersection and, in particular, revisit the possibility of providing intersection control at this location such as a roundabout or traffic signals,’’ Mr Organ said.

Mr Pentecost said the signs are not enough and politics should be forgotten so a resolution can be found.

Recently re-elected Londonderry MP Prue Car agrees.

“This is clearly an increasingly dangerous spot here, it is a spot of major incidents but no one in the government will take responsibility, it isn’t good enough,” she said.

“Bureaucracy should not be resulting in people dying because no one can work out who is going to fix the road.”

To sign the petition, visit www.change.org/p/hawkesbury-council-penrith-council-change-for-londonderry-rd-and-drift-way-intersection.


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