ANOTHER CRASH BUT NO ROAD FIX

REPAIRS WAIT AS HORROR STRETCH STRIKES AGAIN

A MT Duneed family is calling for urgent safety upgrades on a stretch of rural road as a young mother fights for life in hospital after crashing her car.

Wayne and Lisa Page said the poor condition of Lower Duneed Rd was putting lives at risk, with speed limit reductions not enough with an increasing volume of traffic pouring through between the Surf Coast Highway and Barwon Heads Rd each day.

Ballarat mother Melanie Ranken, 25, was driving on Lower Mt Duneed Rd, Mt Duneed, when the car was struck from behind, spearing the sedan into trees about 2.10pm on Thursday. She remains in a critical condition.

Mr Page said his family had lived for more than 20 years on a six-acre property that backs on to the road and had seen countless ambulances heading to serious accidents.

“Over the 20 years neighbours and myself have been involved in close calls, a father and son that lived locally had been hospitalised with serious injuries,” Mr Page said.

“One occasion I was turning right into Horseshoe Bend from Lower Duneed Rd when a car passed me sideways and spun uncontrolled backwards down the road at about 100km/h, fortunately there was no oncoming cars.

“There is still serious prob- lems with the road, the speed and amount of traffic it now carries.

“There is no shoulder or run off or to pull over, and in wet conditions the edges are very soft and vehicle tyres sink into soft ground very easy.

“Sections of the road have very poor drainage and deep pools of water pool from the side of the road to almost the middle of the road. I have witnessed drivers swerving into oncoming traffic to avoid deep pools of water.”

South Barwon MP Andrew Katos said VicRoads was avoiding having to spend money to upgrade regional road safety in many places, instead using TAC funds to install wire barriers.

“It adds a perception of added safety but they’re not actually fixing the road,” Mr Katos said.

“In other areas they’re simply dropping the speed limits, which is usually an admission that the road isn’t at a good enough standard.

“Are VicRoads actually doing any road maintenance?”

VicRoads southwest regional director Mark Koliba said upgrades were expected to commence early next year.

“Design and planning is under way to improve Lower Duneed Rd, with works expected to start in early 2018,” Mr Koliba said.

“To improve safety, we will resurface the road, widen the shoulder and improve drainage.”