Great barrier beef
Polwarth MP claims wire safety measures are putting lives at risk
WIRE rope safety barriers are putting lives at risk rather than protecting them, a local Liberal MP warns.
Polwarth state Liberal MP Richard Riordan claims the VicRoads rollout of wire rope safety barriers throughout the state will put lives at risk — particularly along the Princes Highway West duplication between Winchelsea and Colac.
Mr Riordan said the distance between the barriers and roads in many places left no room for cars that break down to safely pull over, and also blocked emergency services from quickly accessing accidents and fires.
“Across the Otway and Great Ocean Road region, locals, first-responder volunteers and others have been calling on the Government to find funds to make much-needed improvements to many intersections and road ways to help improve safety and to help keep a lid on the road toll,” Mr Riordan said.
“Instead VicRoads continues to turn the Princes Highway West into a wire rope-clad tunnel, with no room to pull off, limited access for fire and safety, and as one transport industry leader said, ‘creating a death trap for motorists’.
“The barriers for kilometres prevent a safe and slow run off the road and keep all vehicles trapped on the road way. A simple blown tire on a truck will cause mayhem.”
VicRoads project director Tim Price said the roads would include a 3.5m gap between the barriers and closest traffic lane when works were completed. He did not say when this would happen.
“The current traffic lane arrangement on Princes Highway West between Winchelsea and Colac is temporary while we construct two new lanes and rehabilitate the old road,” Mr Price said.
“We have been particularly careful with this interim arrangement. These flexible barriers are in place to keep everyone safe, and we have taken great care to provide frequent breaks for emergency services and access for residents to driveways.”
One local truck driver said the road improvements were good, but the wire barriers left no room to get off the road in an emergency for some stretches of up to two kilometres.
“It’s quite annoying as a driver,” Grant, who asked that his surname be withheld, said. “I think it is a safety issue.”
“If you have to pull over in a short amount of time, but there’s not a lot of room to do so because you’ve got the wires there, anything could happen.”
South Barwon state Liberal MP Andrew Katos also raised concerns, saying the funding would be better spent on fixing regional roads.
“What’s the point of putting up wire rope barriers if there’s potholes in the road and if the shoulders are in poor condition,” Mr Katos said.
“Surely, the first priority should be upgrading the roads. Surely that’s going to prevent loss of life and accidents on our roads.”