The state government has funded and performed maintenance on a problem road in wine country to make it safer in the past three years.
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But residents of Lovedale Road at Allandale want further action after three crashes at the sweeping bend near the railway underpass in recent weeks.
The most recent incident claimed the life of Port Stephens police Sergeant Geoffrey Richardson on March 5.
The strip has also been the scene of a single-vehicle motorcycle crash and a cement truck roll-over since the start of this year.
Residents say the road would be safer if a guard rail was set up and a warning sign, with a flashing light, was erected at the bend.
Cessnock City Council, which is responsible for Lovedale Road at Allandale, would not comment on the state of the road last week because of the ongoing police investigation into Sergeant Richardson’s death.
But an RMS spokesman told the Mercury that the state had made up-front payments worth $1.5 million for council to improve safety on Lovedale Road and Buchanan Road – both feeder roads for the Hunter Expressway.
Of that, it’s understood that about $500,000 was earmarked to improve safety on Lovedale Road by June, 2016.
Forecast extra traffic from the Hunter Expressway also prompted RMS to complete safety upgrades at Lovedale Road three years ago.
“In 2013, Roads and Maritime carried out work on local roads adjoining the Hunter Expressway in order to improve safety for motorists and the local community,” the spokesman said.
“This included $1.7 million in maintenance work on Lovedale Road and Allandale Road, including road surfacing and resealing – completed in 2013.”
Meanwhile, Cessnock Council is in the throes of major upgrades at Hermitage Road and Broke Road.
Cessnock City and Singleton Shire Council received a total of $16.9 million from the state government’s Resources for Regions fund to upgrade the major wine country routes.
