Despite a fix being on the cards the notorious Yoogali intersection continues to pose a threat to both residents and tourists, according to a Cowra couple who had a lucky escape over the Easter break.
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The near miss has prompted questions from the community as to when the area can expect to see the safety changes promised following news traffic lights would be installed at the intersection in October.
Griffith residents were split on Facebook in their reactions to the Easter collision, with continued calls for something to be done matched by claims driver fault was responsible.
Russell Denning, the driver of one of the cars involved, returned to the scene of the accident on Sunday and photographed the intersection from his approach in which one Give Way sign appears to be obscured and another appears to be missing.
Unfamiliar with the dangerous black spot Mr Denning and his wife never saw their accident coming as they pulled out onto the road and were t-boned by another vehicle.
Mr Denning was left battered and bruised following the collision, his wife remained in hospital on Tuesday.
Having lived just around the corner from the notorious intersection for years, concerned resident Anne Napoli can remember a number of fatal accidents there off the top of her head and said it was “unfair” to say the number of incidents there came down to bad drivers.
“One morning on my way to work there was a car that crashed there, three women died at once,” she said.
“The heartache is knowing it is still two or three years until we will see the traffic lights there.”
“I can think of five people straight away who have died there, that is five too many, one is two many – and there have been countless injuries and a lot of near misses that aren’t reported.”
Griffith mayor John Dal Broi said work on replacing the intersection with traffic lights had begun, with engineers and the RMS having agreed on a design.
However, Cr Dal Broi said physical work on replacing the intersection with traffic lights would not commence for another 12 months.
“I know people would like it to happen much sooner but design has to take its course,” he said.
The high number of stakeholders who needed to be involved in the fix of the intersection - where the Burley Griffin Way, Mackay Avenue, Irrigation Way and Kurrajong Avenue all meet - was also making the process difficult, according to Cr Dal Broi.
“In this design there is council, the RMS, the railways and Murrumbidgee Irrigation, everyone has infrastructure that requires upgrading,” he said.
“I want to emphasise to the people, it is a big project, it is $8.8 million worth of expenditure, it will require a fair bit of work.”
