THE PACIFIC Highway has been voted the State’s worst road for the fifth year running, according to thousands surveyed by the National Roads and Motorists’ Association in its annual Seeing Red on Roads campaign.
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Almost 8000 road users once again voted the Pacific Highway as the worst road in NSW or the ACT. Motorists nominated two sites on the Highway that are both notorious for their congestion. Chatswood in northern Sydney and the Highway as it passes through the choked centre of Coffs Harbour.
The five most flagged roads on the North Coast were:
1. Pacific Highway
2. Bucketts Way
3. The Lakes Way
4. Waterfall Way
5. Ocean Drive
NRMA deputy president Wendy Machin said significant progress had been made on the upgrade of the Pacific Highway and the NRMA expects it to fall off the top of the list after the work is completed in 2020. She said patience was the key during the final stages of the nation’s most anticipated highway upgrade.
“On the North Coast the final challenge will be to bypass the city centre of Coffs Harbour. This will give a completely duplicated highway to the Queensland border and allow the centre of Coffs Harbour to bloom when it is free of the through traffic and heavy vehicles,” Ms Machin said.
“However, the highway is not the only road of significance of the North Coast as shown by the survey results. Regional and local roads are used daily by tens of thousands of North Coast residents and visitors,” Ms Machin said.
“It’s not enough to complete the duplication and consider that work on the North Coast is done. The region is highly urbanised and is also a tourist mecca and this – as well as higher rainfall - means our local roads are subject to unusual wear.
“Good work is being done but against that councils on the North and Mid North Coast have the State’s biggest road maintenance backlogs,” she said.
“NRMA believes part of a solution is to direct a greater proportion of the fuel excise back into roads.”
A total of 7694 respondents made a combined 13,342 clicks on the Seeing Red interactive map via the NRMA’s website or in person at forums held in August and September.
10 Worst Roads in NSW/ACT
1. Pacific Highway
2. Pennant Hills Rd
3. Parramatta Rd
4. Princes Highway
5. M4 Western Motorway
6. Wattle Tree Rd
7. Great Western Highway
8. Barton Highway
9. M5 Motorway
10. Narellan Rd.
