Bruce Norton calls for upgrades to Tumbarumba Road

Bruce Norton said it's high time that the road was upgraded to fix crumbling edges, faded lines and potholes.

Mr Norton travels Tumbarumba Road at least four times a week, and in some spots, will only drive 70km/h - up to 30km/h below the speed limit.

"The road gets progressively worse and worse, and no one seems to be doing anything about it," he said.

"It's getting more dangerous."

Mr Norton's comments about the state of the road following the death of a man on Sunday in a crash at Carabost, on a section of state-managed road.

The cause of the crash is unknown, with officers from the Murray River Police District investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of the driver.

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Mr Norton said poorly signposted corners, rough edges, undulating sections and badly patched surfaces are just some of the issues.

"Driving at night or on dusk is particularly dangerous with limited ability to gauge the edge of the road to avoid oncoming traffic as the edge marking just disappears when needed the most," he said.

"Couple that with dodging wildlife and log trucks, iced and foggy road conditions and the recipe for a fatal accident is complete.

"You can't travel at a normal speed on it. For someone who doesn't know the road, it could be lethal."

Wagga City Council manages the road from the Sturt Highway to the intersection with Little Billabong Road.

From there until Tumbarumba, it falls under the care and control of the state government.

According to Transport for NSW, in the five years to the end of 2019, 36 crashes were reported on Tumbarumba Road.

These crashes resulted in 24 people being injured, of which eight were seriously injured.

Preliminary data for 2020 shows two crashes, resulting in one death and one person being injured.

Wagga City Council director of operations Warren Faulkner said the council had been proactive in upgrading Tumbarumba Road.

He said that the Centre for Road Safety data for the past five years shows no fatalities recorded on the stretch within the council's control.

"Tumbarumba Road is adequately delineated and maintained by the Wagga City Council," he said.

Mr Faulkner said that in 2021 the council completed 1.85 kilometres of pavement rehabilitation to three sections between Gregadoo East Road and the Sturt Highway.

Early in 2020, it performed 1.5 kilometres of rehabilitation, between Killicks Road and Brooklyn Lane, including 3.35 kilometres of shoulder grading and road widening.

In 2019, the council finished 1.5 kilometres of pavement rehabilitation, between Palmers Road and the Hume Highway.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said safety is their number one priority, and they are constantly working to ensure the state road network is safe and serviceable for all road users.

"Transport for NSW carries out regular inspections to identify any maintenance defects on state roads, including line marking, signage and road surface issues," the spokesperson said.

It did not respond to concerns about poorly signposted corners, random undulations, and edge marking that disappears.

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