NRMA to undertake most comprehensive audit of Pacific Highway ever

NRMA Motoring & Services will undertake the most comprehensive audit of the Pacific Highway ever, including a section by section report card on the progress of the upgrade.

At a Board meeting in Taree today, NRMA Director Wendy Machin said the 2006 performance and safety audit would be broadened to include an analysis of the status of the Pacific Highway Upgrading Program.
 
?All recent audits of the Pacific Highway by the NRMA have found major progress in terms of the upgrade,? Ms Machin said.

?But each audit has also highlighted that many sections of the road are fundamentally unsafe, with crash, fatality and injury rates unacceptably high.

?Last year, the study undertaken by the NRMA´s Better Roads program was a snapshot of the progress on the Pacific Highway upgrade over the last 10 years between Karuah and Corindi.

?The study analysed State and Federal Government promises to fix the Pacific Highway and revealed massive project delays and a $467 million blow out in costs.

?NRMA will compare last year´s study with this audit to have a clear and concise picture of the status of the Pacific Highway.

?We will also know how new sections, such as Yelgun to Chinderah and the Karuah bypass is performing.

?The audit will use more than 50 audit criteria on both directions of the road, including traffic volumes, signage, lane widths, carriageways and the frequency of rest areas.

?The audit will look at crash and injury rates on the road and will also assess safe opportunities for overtaking, the road alignment, clear zones, condition of line marking and shoulders and changes in speed limits.

?Blackspots and blacklengths will be identified by plotting the location of crashes and fatalities along each road with data supplied by the Roads and Traffic Authority. ?

The audit will be released before the end of the year.