Golden Poplars Kings Highway Braidwood

  • Project schedulePlanting begins October 2024
Kings Highway on approach to Braidwood

Planting of propagated Golden Poplars

Planting was completed in October 2024 and there are still some tree guards to be installed. One of the mature trees was also be removed during the planting.

Background

The planting of the propagated Golden Poplars was planned to take place at the same time as the safety upgrade in 2020, however the trees began showing signs of poor health and testing identified the presence of a botanical disease called Crown Gall. The trees were destroyed to prevent them from spreading the disease to the surrounding environment.

Over seven years from 2004, there were 17 crashes, including five fatal crashes, on the Kings Highway near Braidwood. More than half involved a collision with a roadside object, and in all five fatal crashes the vehicle collided with a tree.

In response to the crash history, Transport for NSW carried out a Route Safety Review in 2012 which identified the existing avenue of Golden Poplars as a road safety hazard.

A tree management plan was prepared which included planning for a replacement avenue of trees at an increased distance from the road. Transport for NSW commissioned cuttings of the existing Golden Poplars, which have both aesthetic and historical value, to be propagated to a height suitable for future planting.

In May 2020, roadside safety barriers and audio-tactile line marking were installed. The roadside safety barrier protects motorists from a range of hazards and aims to reduce the severity of crashes and will remain even when the existing avenue of trees reaches the end of their natural lives.

Advancements in roadside barrier technology have reduced the amount of deflection required behind the guardrail meaning the majority of the current trees can be safely protected by barrier without having to be removed.

Location

Kings Highway, Braidwood 2622  View Map

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