THE speed zone at the Houston Mitchell Drive and Pacific Highway intersection will be reduced to 100kmh in response to safety concerns and multiple car accidents.
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Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said following a speed zone review, the existing 110kmh speed limit will be reduced to 100kmh in the southbound carriageway only, from one kilometre north and south of Houston Mitchell Drive.
"Transport for NSW completed the review in response to community safety concerns, following a series of recent crashes at the intersection," Mrs Williams said.
Residents have rallied for action at the highway hotspot since 2018 with advocate for a speed limit reduction, or a flyover/overpass, Peter Rodgers leading the charge.
He said there has been a significant increase in traffic, including school buses, along the Ghost Road as a result of new development in the Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills areas.
Mr Rodgers said it would be a relatively small amount of money to implement signage requiring people to slow down, in comparison to the detrimental cost to the community if lives were to be lost.
Mrs Williams said the speed zone review was completed in consultation with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and NSW Police, and brings the speed zone into line with other similar intersections on the Pacific Highway.
"The review was completed in accordance with the NSW Speed Zoning Guidelines, which considered a number of factors like roadside development, traffic data and crash history," Mrs Williams said.
Work to replace the existing signage is now underway and motorists are urged to exercise caution in the area until this is completed.
Transport for NSW is continuing to investigate additional measures to improve safety at the intersection and will keep the community informed as plans progress.
Lyne MP David Gillespie will also push for interchanges and overpasses at black spot Pacific Highway intersections at Harrington and Houston Mitchell Drive following a fatality earlier this month which claimed the life of a 74-year-old woman.
Dr Gillespie said the next phase of investment in the Pacific Highway upgrade program must include overpasses and interchanges at critical intersections where there has been several fatal accidents and increased traffic flows in recent years.
"Population growth along the Pacific Highway corridor, combined with increasing tourism traffic has made many of these major intersections busy at peak times, raising further safety concerns," Dr Gillespie said.
"In recent times, we have seen fatal accidents at these busy intersections and it's now time for them all to be upgraded."
At many locations along the Pacific Highway north of Port Macquarie interchanges and flyovers have been an integral part of the upgrade roll-out.
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