A SERIOUS accident on Friday 15 May has brought safety issues at the Bucketts Way/Pacific Highway intersection into sharp focus once more.
In April, News Of The Area reported on the strong concerns held by former Roads and Traffic Authority senior engineer Gordon Chirgwin about the dangerous state of the intersection.
“I believe that the intersections of the Pacific Highway with Bucketts Way at Twelve Mile Hill and Medowie Road are of high priority,” said Mr Chirgwin at the time.
“Both intersections present a high risk of serious high-speed accidents.
“From a few hundred metres north of Bucketts Way to south of Medowie Road there are… entrances to a caravan park; the Bucketts Way intersection; the entrance and exit to a southbound rest area; the entrance, bypass and exit for a southbound heavy vehicle inspection facility; entrances and exits for a northbound rest area, with a facility to enter for southbound traffic; and the Medowie Road intersection.
“With this number of conflicts, and given the traffic volumes, the potential for a serious crash is high.
“Also, there are usually traffic queues in Medowie Road and Bucketts Way, especially in holiday periods, and any impatience by drivers is highly likely to precipitate an accident.
“In my professional view, the risk of an accident is unacceptable.”
The accident on 15 May resulted in serious injury to two people.
“About 3.30pm on Friday 15 May 2026, emergency services were called to the intersection of Pacific Highway and the Bucketts Way, Twelve Mile Creek, following reports of a crash,” a Police spokesperson told NOTA.
“Upon arrival, police were told four vehicles, including a Toyota SUV and a Ford van, had crashed.
“NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the driver of the Toyota – an 82-year-old woman – and the driver of the Ford – a 30-year-old woman – for serious injuries before they were both taken to John Hunter Hospital.
“The driver of the other two vehicles – a 42-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man – were uninjured.
“Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.”
Gloucester local Megan Benson is concerned that the proliferation of gravel quarries near the Bucketts Way intersections and a proposed pumped hydro project at Stratford will make a bad situation even worse, and considers that both MidCoast and Port Stephens councils should make further representations to the NSW Government about the state of the intersection.
“The intersection has passed its use by date and I believe that both councils should inform the Department of Planning that an equitable resolution and action plan for the Bucketts Way intersection to the Highway must be agreed to before there are any further development approvals,” Ms Benson said.
“Everybody but the Department of Planning and developers seem to appreciate how dangerous this intersection is.”
By John WATTS
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