A $45 MILLION upgrade to a notorious stretch of road in Port Stephens appears to have done little to improve traffic safety.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the past three months there has been 13 crashes along Nelson Bay Road – seven in October, four in November and two so far in December.
The most recent crash, a minor fender bender at Anna Bay, happened on Sunday morning. In November there were one minor and three major collisions along the road.
The three major crashes, resulting in seven people being taken to hospital, occurred between Marsh Road at Bobs Farm and the Port Stephens Drive roundabout at Anna Bay.
Senior Constable John Simmons from Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said there was a “big difference” in the number of collisions that occurred this November compared to the same month last year.
“There was one collision this time last year, near the Cabbage Tree Road intersection, but no collisions in the vicinity of Bobs Farm and Anna Bay, which is amazing,” he said.
Collisions within the Port Stephens police command for the month of November are up – 29 this year compared to 23 in 2014 – as are road-related deaths. There has been six road deaths, four more than this time last year.
A key outcome of the $45 million upgrade of Nelson Bay Road was to improve road traffic safety.
The five kilometre stretch of road between Cromarty Lane, Bobs Farm, and Port Stephens Drive roundabout underwent a two-year construction period, from August 2013 to May 2015, to turn it into a dual carriageway to achieve that goal.
Senior Constable Simmons said it could be a “coincidence” that the three major collisions in November occurred in the upgraded section of road.
“Fatigue, speed, complacency are all factors in crashes,” he said.
“It could be that better roads and increased speeds, combined with lack of attention, creates less time to react. These crashes may well be just a coincidence or pot luck. There’s nothing to state that because of the upgrade there has been more or less crashes.”
The minor collision, on November 12, happened on Nelson Bay Road at the Marsh Road intersection about 10.25am.
The first major collision came on November 18.
A Bobs Farm man, 44, was involved in a crash outside Caltex at Anna Bay about 7.50am.
The second came at the Port Stephens Drive roundabout at Anna Bay.
A 44-yer-old Hunter Valley man was driving towards Nelson Bay about 6pm when he lost control of the car, left the road and hit the gutter.
The car rolled and landed on the drivers’ side.
Four cars were involved in a crash at Marsh Road, Bobs Farm about 4.30pm on November 25.
A car, driven by a 39-year-old Raymond Terrace man, crossed to the wrong side of the wrong, and hit a car.
It created a “chain reaction” Senior Constable Simmons said, which resulted in third and fourth car being hit.
Senior Constable Simmons said the three major collisions were still under investigation.
The NSW Police Force’s annual holiday traffic operation, Arrive Alive, will start at midnight on December 18 and run until January 3.
Speeding, fatigue, seatbelt and helmet offences will be targeted.
Police will be out in force, conducting random and roadside breath and drug testing.
Double demerits will apply.
