Transport for NSW Supply of Median Ezy-Guard HC, Ezy-Guard 4, ET-SS Terminals and Quadguard M10 crash cushions. Carrying 20,000 vehicles each day, Picton Road is a major route connecting South West Sydney and the South Coast. To improve safety along the route, particularly for head on crashes, back to back Ezy-Guard HC was installed in the median.
Between 2020 and 2022 the Picton Road highway will receive $6.9 million worth of safety improvements as part of the Safer Roads Program. The program will aim to prioritise funding for road safety infrastructure projects across regional NSW through to 2022.
In 2020, a new section of median Ezy-Guard HC barrier was installed to join up with a previous barrier installation on the route, to the east of this section. Ezy-Guard HC was chosen for the median and Ezy-Guard 4 was used on the verge with the MASH ET-SS end-terminal. The median barrier was terminated with the MASH QuadGuard M10.
In the five years to 30 June 2019 four crashes were reported in the area resulting in one fatality, one serious injury and one moderate injury. Median barriers at this location will look to improve safety by providing a barrier in-between the opposing traffic lanes, consequently reducing the risk of head on crashes.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said median and roadside barriers were one of several safety solutions included in the improvements aimed at reducing the incidence and severity of run-off-road and head-on type crashes for the project length.
“This work aims to deliver sustainable and long-term reductions in road trauma by targeting a variety of road safety issues,” they said.
“Ezy-Guard was selected as it is a TfNSW-approved safety barrier and meets the project objectives,” the Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
“A key reason for choosing guardrail over a concrete median was that it is easier to install and doesn’t require the installation of drainage, saving time and money while delivering a significant safety improvement.”
The Transport for NSW spokesperson said Stage One of the Picton Road safety improvements used 1.7km of median barriers and 650m of roadside barriers at strategic locations.
“The key objective of the project is to reduce the incidence and severity of run-off-road and head-on type crashes by providing widened shoulders, median and verge safety barriers, vehicle activated signs for curves as well as audio-tactile line-marking,” they said.
This Picton Road upgrade was identified as a key project to meet the demand for additional freight and improved safety in the NSW Freight and Ports Plan for 2018-2023.