DROP-OFF ZONE A FLOODY NIGHTMARE
Three schools and one huge puddle
FRUSTRATED parents have been left to wade through constant flooding at a busy Drysdale intersection.
The floodprone corner has been underwater for days, adding to the danger of navigating the Anderson Rd and Peninsula Drive intersection, which is usually busy as parents from three schools scramble to complete pick-ups and drop-offs.
St Ignatius College, Bella- rine Secondary College, St Thomas Primary school and The Potato Shed all share the Peninsula Drive address.
Concerned parent and Bellarine Secondary College school council president Jacqui Pierce said the constant flooding problem had been reported to the City of Greater Geelong many times.
“The water has been there all week, and gotten progress- ively worse each day,” she said.
“The intersection is a nightmare without the water, you can’t imagine how bad it gets flooded. It’s just dangerous.”
Ms Pierce also raised concerns that in the event of an emergency it would be difficult to evacuate the schools as Peninsula Drive is a no through road.
“We’ve been lobbying for a long time to get Peninsula Drive to be pushed through as there is no easy way to evacuate the three schools, especially now with all the water covering the road,” she said.
The Geelong council’s acting director of city services, Peter Godfrey, said the council would be working on future solutions with VicRoads as part of the Drysdale Bypass project.
“The intersection of Anderson Rd and Peninsula Drive is a natural low point, and some intense storms this year have caused short-term flows of water across this roadway,” he said.
“We understand the frustration of local road users, and ask for their continued patience as our operational staff check drainage pits and pipes for any blockages of silt and other debris.”
The Drysdale Bypass project is not due to begin until 2018, providing little relief to the current problem.