The death of a 26-year-old man in a head-on collision has sparked renewed calls for a heavily used New South Wales road to be upgraded to dual carriageway.
Thirroul local Ty Delaney's death is the eighth in five years on Picton Road, which acts as a vital corridor between Wollongong and the Hume Highway.
Surfboard maker and shop owner Dylan Perese said Mr Delaney, who worked as a tradesman, was a "great young bloke".
"He was a passionate young surfer, spent a lot of time surfing Sandon Point, his local break," Mr Perese said.
"He was liked in the water, always had a smile on and always had an air of warmth and vibrancy.
"He was also a talented artist who had worked for our company over the years."
Family, friends, and the Illawarra community also expressed their sadness on social media.
"My daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons are on [Picton Road] five-six days a week," prominent Wollongong businesswoman Michele Adair tweeted.
"I consciously worry for them 10-12 times a week."
Use booms as Sydney creeps south
As well as eight deaths, Transport NSW figures show 67 people have been injured – 22 seriously – over the past five years.
Traffic on the road has also increased significantly.
"In the 10 years from 2006 to 2016, traffic volumes on Picton Road east of the Hume Motorway have grown from 13,510 to 24,056 vehicles each day," NSW Transport's website said.
"Around 3,400 heavy vehicles use Picton Road daily."
The road spans two council areas, two electoral boundaries and two police districts.
Camden Police Commander, Chief Inspector Michael Brite, covers the western end of the road at Wilton, where the latest crash occurred.
"Over the last couple of years there has been serious fatals and serious accidents, we have had a couple of double fatals, we had a serious truck accident there a couple of years ago," he said.
"So, yes, the road is well known for serious accidents."
'A few million here, a few million there'
Labor MP Ryan Park, whose Keira electorate covers the eastern part of the road, says non-partisan commitment from all levels of government is required to finish upgrading the entire length of the road to dual carriageway.
"The best way to do it is work at both a State and Federal level to deliver it," he said.
"I think the total upgrade is somewhere in the order of $180 million and they are doing small chunks at the moment — a few million dollars here, a few million dollars there.
"What I want is to sit down with the minister and plan a pipeline of works."
The NSW Minister for Roads, Andrew Constance, would likely welcome some help from the Federal Government, but it did not seem to be forthcoming.
While $94m was allocated to Heathcote Road, a similar thoroughfare to the north, there was apparently nothing for Picton Road.
Echo of past tragedy
Carol Innes lost her son, Craig, in a head-on collision on Picton Road in 2010.
The UOW engineering student was driving home to Canberra from Wollongong at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon when a car clipped another, which in turn crashed into his vehicle.
"Craig was killed instantly," Ms Innes said.
"The person driving the other car, he survived it — he was OK.
"He was never charged. "
Mr Constance was unavailable for comment, but his department issued a statement.
"A $6.9m package of safety improvements, funded under the Safer Roads Program, has been planned for Picton Road," a Transport NSW spokesperson said.
"The project is due for completion by November 2020.
"The Australian and NSW Governments have funded over $60 million in safety improvements on this road since 2010, with the number of crashes falling by almost 25 percent."
Beyond November, however, the NSW Government has provided no information on plans for the completion of the dual carriageway.
