Great Western Highway – Katoomba to Mount Victoria Road safety upgrades Preferred treatments report November 2014 ISBN: 978-1-925217-63-6 Publication Number: 14.534 Great Western Highway - Katoomba to Mount Victoria, Road safety upgrades - Preferred treatments report This report was prepared by: SMEC Australia Pty Ltd ABN: 47065 475 149 Level 5, 20 Berry Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060 Australia November 2014 ISBN: 978-1-925217-63-6 Publication Number: 14.534 Page ii of xiv November 2014 - Roads and Maritime Services Great Western Highway - Katoomba to Mount Victoria, Road safety upgrades - Preferred treatments report Executive summary Background In July 2012 the Australian and New South Wales governments announced a $250 million revised package of road safety work to improve safety and travel conditions along the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Lithgow. As part of this package, road safety upgrades are being planned for the existing highway between Katoomba and Mount Victoria. Roads and Maritime Services developed a range of potential treatments for the highway between Katoomba and Mount Victoria, and these were provided to the community to review as part of a community consultation process in April/May 2014. After considering community feedback on the potential treatments an assessment against technical criteria was carried out by the project team. The preferred treatments have been selected and a prioritised package of work identified. The Great Western Highway The Great Western Highway links the Sydney metropolitan area to the Blue Mountains and provides a connection to the regional centres of Lithgow and Bathurst in Central NSW. The section of the highway between Katoomba and Mount Victoria is about 14 kilometres long and passes through the townships of Medlow Bath and Blackheath. Upgrading of the Great Western Highway to four lanes between Emu Plains and Katoomba is due for completion in 2015. For the Great Western Highway between Katoomba and Mount Victoria, the focus in the short to medium term is on targeted road safety improvements. It is important to ensure that these sections of road provide a safe driving environment for all road users. Preferred treatments that improve road safety and are sensitive to the surrounding built and natural environment have been identified for further design development and environmental assessment. Crash statistics The following crash statistics were recorded for the section of highway between Katoomba and Mount Victoria in the five years from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 20131. In that time there were: • 154 crashes overall. • Two fatal crashes and 72 injury crashes. • 80 per cent of crashes were midblock (123 crashes). • 47 per cent of crashes occurred on a wet surface (73 crashes). • 51 per cent of crashes involved speed (78 crashes). • 39 per cent of crashes involved vehicles leaving the road on a curve (60 crashes). 1 Crash statistics reported in the Potential Treatments Report (March 2014) were for the five year period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2012. Since then new crash data has been released and has been used for reporting in the Preferred Treatments Report. November 2014 - Roads and Maritime Services Page iii of xiv Great Western Highway - Katoomba to Mount Victoria, Road safety upgrades - Preferred treatments report Community consultation In April/May 2014 consultation was carried out with two community information sessions held (one in Medlow Bath and one in Blackheath) allowing the community to provide feedback on potential treatments. Community issues and concerns raised during the consultation process, that were considered as part of the road safety review and development of potential treatments, fall into the following categories: • Speeding. • Heavy vehicles. • Pedestrian and cyclist safety. • Highway design. • Driver behaviour. • Maintenance. • Other, e.g. environment and heritage. Road safety review A road safety review is designed to investigate road safety issues in relation to the road environment and develop suitable road safety engineering treatments (or improvements) to address these issues. In May 2013 a road safety review of this section of the highway was led by SMEC Australia Pty Ltd (SMEC). It was carried out by suitably qualified and experienced representatives from the project development, road safety, asset and design disciplines of Roads and Maritime. The review assessed the existing road environment and casualty crash locations, confirmed issues raised by the community and considered potential treatments to address the road safety issues that were identified. The preferred treatments are targeted measures to address the identified road safety issues and crash patterns. They would provide a road environment that is safer and more forgiving of driver error, helping to reduce the incidence and severity of crashes. Outcomes of the road safety review The road safety review identified a range of issues and suggested potential treatments to improve road safety. Table i on the next page provides a summary of the road safety issues and the potential treatments. Page iv of xiv November 2014 - Roads and Maritime Services Great Western Highway - Katoomba to Mount Victoria, Road safety upgrades - Preferred treatments report Observed road Potential treatments safety issue Road alignment Provide a straighter road alignment by improving the curve radii in sections where there are tight low radius curves. Road surface Consider improving the surface of the road with high friction asphalt, particularly in locations with wet weather crash patterns. Road shoulders Increase the sealed width of road shoulders to improve safety around curves and increase consistency along the route. Sight distance Review sight distances from side road intersections to ensure they are adequate and develop suitable treatments to address any deficiencies. Safety barriers Install safety barriers to provide protection against hazards, such as drop-offs, drains, trees and utility poles in the clear zone. Provide a suitable central median safety barrier to reduce the incidence of head-on crashes in sections of winding alignment. Clear zones Remove hazards in the clear zone or install a suitable safety barrier next to the hazard. Intersection Provide protected right turn bays to provide greater protection for turning treatments traffic. Where this cannot be provided, investigate alternative access arrangements such as left-in/left-out only. Line marking Install wide centre line marking to provide greater separation between opposing travel lanes. Use profile line marking in rural sections. Review line marking to ensure that overtaking lanes do not end on curves, crests or across side road intersections. Remove right turn access into side roads from overtaking lanes by adjusting the overtaking lane to provide a protected right turn bay. Signage Ensure consistent signage is provided along the route, especially for providing advance side road signage. Delineation Improve the delineation around curves with suitably placed curve alignment markers (CAMS) and ensure that this is consistent along the route. Speed zones Ensure speed zones are suitable for the road environment and that speed zone changes do not occur close to side road intersections or on curves or crests. Pedestrian and Where possible provide off-road facilities in the form of shared paths or cyclist facilities tracks, particularly in between townships. Where possible widen road shoulders to at least two metres to provide safer access for cyclists. Table i - Summary of identified road safety issues and potential treatments November 2014 - Roads and Maritime Services Page v of xiv Great Western Highway - Katoomba to Mount Victoria, Road safety upgrades - Preferred treatments report Preliminary environmental investigation (PEI) The PEI process integrates the environmental and social constraints into the decision making processes as part of design development. In August 2013 GHD Group Pty Ltd prepared a PEI report to identify a range of constraints that may influence the design of the potential treatments and provide opportunities for design refinement within the study area. The key constraints in the study area are: • Areas of high and medium biodiversity, including the Blue Mountains Shoalhaven Hanging Swamps, which have the potential to provide habitat for a range of threatened flora and fauna. • Three Aboriginal heritage items and the Blue Mountains National Park and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which are areas of high archaeological sensitivity. • Heritage items including the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Medlow Bath Railway Station Group, Blackheath Railway Station Group and railway shops, and 103 locally listed heritage items. • Blue Mountains drinking water catchment. • Noise management. • Access along the highway. • Visual appeal along the highway. • The vulnerability of the local community due to changed traffic conditions and the potential impact on local businesses through changed traffic conditions and access arangements, and loss of parking. Next steps Taking the community feedback into consideration, the project team measured potential treatments against technical criteria and the preferred treatments have been selected. These preferred treatments will proceed to the design and environmental assessment phase of the project. The prioritisation of preferred treatments is based on a section-by-section approach so that treatments can be delivered as a package of works within available funding.
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