Lower speed limit on McKanes Falls Road and Magpie Hollow Road for safer trips near Lithgow
The speed limit on two local roads in the Lithgow City Council area will be reduced for the safety of all road users.
The speed limit on a three-kilometre section of McKanes Falls Road in South Bowenfels will be reduced from 80 km/h to 60 km/h and the speed limit on a one-kilometre section of Magpie Hollow Road will be changed from a mix of 70 km/h and 80 km/h to a consistent 60 km/h.
Transport for NSW recently finished restoration work on historic McKanes Bridge over the Coxs River and conducted a speed zone review of the area after community members raised concerns about trucks travelling too quickly through the windy sections of the road, and about sight distances and visibility on approach to the bridge.
The review covered the full length of McKanes Falls Road between the Great Western Highway and Jenolan Caves Road, assessing a number of factors including location, crash history, road environment, the number of access points, road usage, traffic mix and traffic volumes.
“McKanes Falls Road is a quiet, sealed rural road that provides a bit of a short cut for people coming from Lithgow and heading to the famous Jenolan Caves,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
“It is a winding road with a number of high-risk curves, narrow lane widths that provide little margin for driver error, and steep declines on both approaches to McKanes Bridge.
“Currently the road has an 80 km/h speed limit along its entire 7.4 kilometres but the review determined that a 60 km/h limit through the most challenging middle section of the road would be more appropriate.”
As a result of the review, a 60 km/h speed limit will come into effect from Thursday 6 November on the three-kilometre section of McKanes Falls Road running from 2.4 kilometres south of the Great Western Highway to 5.4 kilometres south of the Great Western Highway.
The change will add 45 seconds to trips along McKanes Falls Road with the existing 80 km/h speed limit to be retained for the rest of the road.
A separate speed zone review on Magpie Hollow Road, requested by Lithgow City Council in response to safety concerns raised by local residents, also recommended a lower speed limit in recognition of increasing development in the area.
As a result of the review, the 70 km/h zone that runs for 160 metres on Magpie Hollow Road from the intersection with the Great Western Highway will be reduced to 60 km/h, with the reduced 60 km/h speed limit to extend for a further 840 metres into the existing 80 km/h speed zone.
The change will also come into effect from Thursday 6 November and will add about 13 seconds to trips on Magpie Hollow Road.
Lithgow City Council and local police support all the proposed changes.
Members of the community can sign up here to receive the latest updates on speed limit changes in their nominated area.