DRAG Bilpin, the community group overseeing the upgrades of Bells Line of Road, met with the road contractors on Thursday regarding dangerous overhanging trees and bushes.
Kevin Tame went with three senior DownerMouchel staffers to point out trees that were too close to the road (at Bilpin Hall and other places) as well as scrub obscuring exits from roads such as Wolka and Pup.
“It was a very positive meeting,” Mr Tame said. “We went from Kurrajong Heights to Mount Tomah and they agreed there were things that should have been picked up.”
Mr Tame also showed them reports of incidents over the last decade caused by vegetation. He said the contractors were so concerned they said they would order an immediate audit of tree risk along the whole corridor.
DRAG has also instigated a traffic counter outside Bilpin Public School which will be there for three months. DRAG’s Martin Graham said it would give DownerMouchel updated data which DRAG hopes will confirm what the group has been telling them – that traffic has increased markedly in the last five years.
“By Tuesday DownerMouchel will release to DRAG the results of their safety audit for OT2 (Glenarra) and OT3 (Johnson's),” Mr Graham said. “We will release that to the community as soon as we receive it.
“DRAG has not given up on changing the direction of the overtaking lane at OT6. A meeting with Dominic Perrottet is being arranged.”
The Gazette contacted DownerMouchel to confirm the promise of a tree audit but at time of posting they had not returned our call.