A notoriously dangerous intersection that has claimed multiple lives has been earmarked for an upgrade to improve safety.
19-year-old Liam Carr was killed at the intersection of Llandilo Road and Richmond Road in Berkshire Park just three days before Christmas in 2022.
Months before Carr’s accident Penrith City Councillor Glenn Gardiner had been lobbying the State Government to carry out urgent safety upgrades at the intersection.
Carr’s mother, Amanda McLachlan, has now joined Gardiner’s fight to increase the safety of the intersection after she learned safety concerns has been raised months before her son’s accident.
“It’s heartbreaking to know that it’s been such a notorious intersection for such a long time, and no one’s done anything with the concerns that have been raised more than once,” McLachlan said.
“It could have saved many lives.”
Carr’s accident occurred as he was on his way home to Campbelltown after spending the day at work bricklaying.
“That day he was on his way home from work heading down towards the M7 and then the accident happened. A car was stopped to turn right… and he didn’t have enough time to get over into the other lane to go around, he hit the back of the van and came onto the opposite side of the road and the truck then hit him,” McLachlan said.
Gardiner moved a motion to write to the NSW Minister for Transport and the Member for Londonderry for a review of a series of dangerous intersections in Berkshire Park, Llandilo and Londonderry four months before Carr’s accident.
Among the intersections included in Gardiner’s motion to Council was the intersection at Richmond and Llandilo Roads.
At the time, Gardiner highlighted there had been 55 accidents with serious injuries and three fatalities between 2016 and 2020 in the rural north part of Penrith.
Gardiner believes the majority of the issues on the roads are due to the increased amount of traffic in the area.
“These are rural roads, and they are designed for rural traffic, but the volume of traffic is no longer rural,” Gardiner said.
“I deliberately drove around looking and inspecting all the various intersections and I came up with six that were particularly vulnerable, the intersection of Llandilo and Richmond Roads being one of them namely because of the vision problems and the volume of traffic.”
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has confirmed they are aware of the dangerous intersection and are looking at ways to improve safety.
“Transport for NSW is currently working on a business case for future upgrades to the Richmond Road Corridor. This work includes the Richmond Road intersection with Llandilo Road,” a spokesperson for TfNSW said.
“To improve safety at this intersection, we are considering options in the shorter term, including installing traffic lights once planning work is completed and construction funding is available. Transport for NSW has engaged directly with Penrith and Hawkesbury Councils in our planning work about the Richmond Road corridor including the Llandilo Road intersection.”
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.