Drivers have ranked the Newell Highway at Moree as the fourth worst road in western NSW.
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Through the NRMA’s annual “seeing red on roads” campaign released yesterday, 15,500 road users flagged the worst sections of roads in NSW.
The campaign was launched in 2011 and aimed to fight for better roads.
The Newell Highway section at Moree, which has experienced three floods in 2011 and 2012, was surveyed by NRMA western NSW director Graham Blight two weeks ago.
He described the state of the road as “disturbing”.
Haddad and Sons Transport, Moree truck drivers Chad Baker and Chris Smith have each been driving on the Newell for more than 16 years.
They both agree there is nothing positive to say about the state of the highway.
“It’s been like this for six months. It’s hard to control your vehicle; everyone is taking a risk, trying to dodge potholes. People have to drive on the other side of the road just to avoid them,” Mr Smith said.
“We always run up along the Newell and get damaged, then we get inspected and told our equipment is damaged and fined; and I bet that money isn’t going back into the road.”
Mr Baker said overtaking lanes were a major problem. The State Government is currently in the process of constructing three overtaking lanes between Moree and Narrabri, but it seems for drivers they are long overdue.
“You’ve got two chances to overtake between here and the border,” Mr Baker said. “Especially in cotton season when you’ve got six or seven road trains going 90km per hour the other people able to go 110km can’t get past them. I’ve had people come around me on left hand bends because they are so impatient for an overtaking lane that doesn’t exist.”
Mr Blight said the seeing red survey results showed that drivers wanted governments to come up with a solution to fix regional roads. “No government should underestimate the anger at the state of our roads,” Mr Blight said.
“Recently I travelled through the centre of NSW and was appaled at the poor condition of the roads. Local councils are now at the point where they are being forced to abandon bitumen roads for gravel roads that aren’t as safe, all because they can’t afford to keep patching up roads that must be resurfaced. The longer we leave these roads under funded, the worse they get and the more lives we put at risk.
“That’s why we urge the Federal Government to invest substantially more of the fuel tax back into upgrading regional roads - we pay our taxes and we demand that the benefits be returned to NSW roads.”
Mr Baker agreed, saying the Newell was dangerous and it was about time the State Government did something about it.
“They cover themselves by having speed limits changed and ‘rough surface’ signs put out and then the road stays like that for six months.”