A campaign has been launched to improve the safety of Otford Rd Rail Bridge, with drivers saying it’s only one lane, but you can’t see from one side of the bridge to the other!
Council has vowed to upgrade the bridge in the 2016/17 financial year, however locals want the work started now, so it’s finished by the start of the next bushfire season on October 2016.
Residents have until midnight tonight (May 5) to lodge a submission with Wollongong Council, with regular users saying the bridge is dangerous and no longer meets the needs of the community. They’re especially concerned about safety, should there be a bushfire.
A submission can simply be a letter stating your cause.
Built in the 1920’s, then upgraded in 2006, the bridge has been modified several times after vehicles collided with the narrow parapets. Then in July 2014, Sydney Trains, in consultation with Wollongong City Council, decided it should be one lane only. The path was widened and a solid concrete barrier erected, making it impossible for drivers to see across.
Posts on social media say the bridge does not meet Australian standards for road safety, RMS standards and the pedestrian access doesn’t meet Australian standards for access and mobility.
The Fix Otford Bridge Committee has issued the following guidelines for submissions.
– The bridge width has been modified , giving no line of sight to vehicles approaching on either side.
– Pedestrians are forced to walk onto the road from the footpath because it does not align.
– Vehicles must reverse blindly when they meet an oncoming vehicle.
– Th bridge is not suitable for vehicles longer than 12 meters, including busses and trucks.
– Otford Rd is a detour point when the M1 and Old Princes Highway are closed. This happened in 2015 with the bushfire at Maddens Plains
– Otford Rd is a detour when Lawrence Hargrave Drive is closed by roadworks or emergencies.
– The bridge is used by tourists visiting the Royal National Park (4000 per day) and Bald Hill (3000 prepay)
– Poor drainage on the eastern side causes minor flooding and silt washes into Port Hacking River every time it rains.
Submissions can be made as a letter/email- The deadline is midnight tonight!
The subject line should read ‘Submissions for Draft 2016/17 Budget’
to:
WOLLONGONG DC NSW 2500
