Hawkesbury City Council and Transport for NSW have reached an agreement on the reopening of a truck parking bay on Bells Line of Road.
Under the agreement, Transport for NSW has provided $45,000 to Council to support the reopening of the rest stopping opportunity located 7km eastbound of Bilpin, which will enable vegetation management, waste management, safety and surface improvements.
Council officers acted to close the stop late last year following numerous complaints from the community regarding the poor state of the site and numerous incidents of dumping, deeming the site unsafe to continue to act as a rest stopping opportunity.
Bells Line of Road is a state-owned and managed road and at the time Council was not receiving funding from Transport for NSW to maintain and improve the site to a safe level for the purposes of a truck parking bay. Council has held numerous discussions with Transport for NSW over the site.
Hawkesbury City Mayor Les Sheather welcomed Transport for NSW's commitment to partner with Council to deliver a positive outcome for truck drivers and the community.
"The safety of the community and all motorists is a key priority for Council and the NSW Government. This agreement is a win-win for everyone involved," Mayor Sheather said.
"Truck drivers need places to pull over and rest, but need to be able to do so safely. This agreement empowers and funds Council workers to undertake important safety and amenity works alongside what is a State-owned road.
"With truck traffic on Bells Line of Road increasing due to the closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass, this is a timely and much-needed outcome for everyone.
"I thank Transport for NSW for their partnership, along with the members of the local community who took the time to raise this important issue with us."
Works at the site are scheduled to commence on Monday 1 June and take approximately one week to complete, weather permitting.
