Blue Mountains Expressway - Enjoy Bell's Line while you can

[Dave_au]

Looks like the historic, scenic, and down right fun road to drive on is about to get the Iemma touch.

From SMH:

Expressway plan for Blue Mountains
November 10, 2005 - 2:24PM

A proposed four lane expressway from Sydney across the Blue Mountains to western NSW would reduce road deaths and provide social and economic benefits to the whole state, its backers say.

The proposed Bells Line Expressway would link with the M7 near Quakers Hill, cross the Hawkesbury River near Windsor and follow the route of the Bells Line of Road across the mountains to emerge north of Lithgow.

The Bells Line Expressway Group, which includes MPs from both sides of politics at a federal, state and local level, said the project would link Sydney with the central west of the state.

"The provision of a fast, safe road over the Blue Mountains has been a dream since the early days of settlement," said BLEG chairman and Nationals MP for Lachlan Ian Armstrong.

"We now have the ability to make that dream a reality."

The estimated $2 billion road would be a 100-110 kph four lane route, with construction scheduled to start in 2008 for completion in 2012.

The two main roads across the mountains, the Great Western Highway and the Bells Line of Road, are the two most dangerous highways in NSW per kilometre travelled, according to an NRMA study.

Mr Armstrong said the expressway would save lives by providing the first flood-free escape route for people living in the Hawkesbury/Windsor area, and be much safer for motorists through reduced congestion and less bends in the road.

The expressway would also cut at least half an hour off existing travel times between Windsor and Lithgow, he said.

Mr Armstrong said the project should be jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and he was confident it would receive government approval.

"We said we would launch the project, we would walk it through the public ... and we will go back to them and talk serious business to get (the roads minister's) commitment to commence the plan of construction," Mr Armstrong said.

Mr Armstrong said the road would be popular with motorists despite recent problems with infrastructure projects like the Cross City Tunnel and Lane Cove Tunnel.

"Let's forget about what's happened with past (roads); I think we can learn from those experiences and we can do this one well and make a success of it," he said.

But Mr Armstrong did back away from putting a toll on the road.

"It could be a toll road but I must say I'm more attracted, in light of recent events, to the concept of a government-owned road," he said.

AAP