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A 50-metre roundabout will be installed at a "death trap" Gocup Road intersection at Tumut.
The announcement comes six months after a woman, her unborn child and 10-year-old daughter were killed in a collision at the intersection with the Snowy Mountains Highway.
Paul Toole, Acting Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, and Wagga MP Joe McGirr stood together to make the announcement on Friday morning.
Ray Carr, a Tumut resident, said he was extremely grateful to the local MP and Mr Toole for their work in securing the funding. Still, he was disappointed with the lack of community consultation.
"There are other alternatives that have been put up that weren't discussed to the extent that they should have been," he said. "The lack of consultation with the shire leaves a lot to be desired."
Mr Carr said he would continue to plead with the government to consider the option of closing Gocup Road and moving the intersection.
"We are not finished yet," he said. "But I am very grateful to Mr Toole and Dr McGirr."
Dr McGirr thanked the community for their hard work to have their concerns heard.
"Most recently, 2000 signatures in a couple of weeks from a community like this tells you the sort of passion that is here," he said. "It is unfortunate that we have seen terrible fatalities, but we have seen action. The community don't want a band-aid solution. They want this fixed."
Dr McGirr said the Centre for Road Safety revealed the intersection was in the top two to three per cent for risk in the state. He added the community should look at the designs when they come out and provide their feedback.
EARLIER:
A 50-metre roundabout will be installed at a "death trap" Gocup Road intersection at Tumut.
The announcement comes six months after a woman, her unborn child and 10-year-old daughter were killed in a collision at the intersection with the Snowy Mountains Highway.
Paul Toole, Acting Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, and Wagga MP Joe McGirr stood together to make the announcement at the intersection on Friday morning.
Mr Toole said Transport for NSW was also planning to reduce the current 60 km/h speed limit on Snowy Mountains Highway, between Rifle Range and East Street, and on Gocup Road, just south of Gilmore Creek, to 50 km/h to slow down traffic.
"We know the Gocup Road and Snowy Mountains intersection is of real concern for residents and road users - and that was clear to me when I visited the intersection with the Member for Wagga Dr Joe McGirr and met with locals in July," he said.
"We've already made significant improvements to the intersection including adding advanced warning signs, vehicle activated signage, horizontal rumble strips and we are committed to taking further steps to make it safer.
"That's why I asked the Centre for Road Safety to investigate all possible safety improvements to this intersection which has determined a roundabout would be the best solution to address safety concerns."
In other news
In May this year, the intersection of the Snowy Mountains Highway and Gocup Road was the scene of a horrific accident that claimed the lives of a 10-year-old girl, an unborn child, and later their mother, 29-year-old Khayla Reno. A four-year-old child was also in a critical condition after the crash.
Mr Toole said the roundabout will reduce approach speeds of traffic and allow for the best visibility of other vehicles moving through the intersection.
Other options investigated as part of the review were traffic lights, closing Capper Street, raising the intersection, closing Gocup Road and moving the intersection.
Mr Toole said Transport for NSW will now move to the design phase for the roundabout.
"We know it will need to be quite substantial in size - about 50 metres - so all traffic, including A-double and B-double trucks, can navigate it safely," Mr Toole said.
"We expect to have a concept design to share with the community later in the year and will then move as quickly as we can towards shovels in the ground."