COAST ROAD SLOWED

THE speed limit is set to be slashed by 20km/h along most of the C134 from the Geelong Ring Road to Anglesea, as VicRoads considers major safety upgrades for the busy arterial.

Roundabouts, safety barriers, pedestrian islands and intersection changes have also been proposed along the 22km stretch, which serves as the main avenue for Anglesea locals heading to and from Geelong and Melbourne.

The road is also a vital tourist route to the Great Ocean Road and the Otways, and services commuter traffic from the rapidly-expanding Armstrong Creek growth area.

VicRoads safe system infrastructure program director Bryan Sherritt said improvements were needed to address major safety problems along the route, which has been the site of 44 car crashes in the five years to December 2016 — including two deaths and 23 serious injuries.

“The entire corridor from the Geelong Ring Road through to the entrance to the Anglesea township will benefit from $12 million in vital improvements that we know will save lives,” Mr Sherritt told the Geelong Advertiser.

More than 100 locals attended a recent VicRoads commun- ity information session in Freshwater Creek, hearing from members of the project team including engineering, cultural heritage, environmental and engagement specialists.

Mr Sherritt said feedback would be collated and incorporated into the project.

“The feedback we receive from the community will inform the final design of the safety upgrades,” he said.

But not all residents were pleased with the potential changes.

Anglesea local Geoff Gill, who drives the route daily for work, said the real safety issue was the poor condition of the road — not a problem that could be fixed by forcing motorists to drive slower.

“I travel in and out of Geelong every day, and now instead 30 minutes, it’s going to take probably 45 minutes,” Mr Gill said.

“Imagine the traffic — you see it every night of the week going home, people doing 60km/h ... there can be up to 80 cars queued up behind them.”

Mr Gill also questioned the community consultation process, which he felt was “a token gesture”.

“It’s just a big facade,” he said.

“They give us this opportunity to talk to them, but they’ve already made up their mind.”