The New South Wales Government has pledged to spend $43 million upgrading the Bells Line of Road.

The NRMA has welcomed maintenance and upgrades on the road which runs from North Richmond to the Blue Mountains, after campaigning for some time. Works are expected to begin in 2014 and will include upgrades on dangerous bends and installing bypass lanes for increased safety. The Bells Line of Road has recorded more fatalities per kilometre than the Pacific Highway.

NRMA President Wendy Machin says the announcement by Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner of $43 million for safety upgrades and planning will be well received by communities in western NSW and north-west Sydney. She also says the Bells Line of Road is an obvious candidate for repairs due to current safety concerns, but in the long run could become a major freight route between Sydney and the rest of NSW.