Speed review
Speed limits at a “dangerous” intersection in Trafalgar are finally being reviewed.
Police, Baw Baw Shire Council and Trafalgar residents have been calling for safer speed zones at the eastern end of Trafalgar for years.
Yvette Brand
Speed limits at a “dangerous” intersection in Trafalgar are finally being reviewed.
Local police, Baw Baw Shire Council and Trafalgar residents have been calling for safer speed zones at the eastern end of Trafalgar for years.
The Princes Hwy intersection at Davey Drv has been deemed an accident hot spot by police who said it was a “dangerous area” that was monitored closely.
Regional Roads Victoria has announced it will review speed limits at the eastern end of Trafalgar, on both east and west bound lanes.
Transport Department regional director (eastern) Sara Rhodes-Ward said the organisation knew the community shared its concerns about some drivers failing to obey posted speed limits along the Princes Hwy, at both the Davey Drv and Anzac Rd intersections.
“We’re undertaking a speed limit review around these intersections and we’ll keep the community informed as we progress through this process,” she said.
The department’s speed limit review includes a proposal to extend the existing 60 km/h speed zone in the vicinity of Davey Drv.
Currently, west bound traffic drop from 110km/h to 60km/h 200 metres east of Davey Drv. A “60 ahead” advisory sign is located 500 metres before the intersection but there is no 80km/h transition.
A serious collision at the intersection in March has heightened community calls for something to be done.
Baw Baw highway patrol leading senior constable Mark Hrynyszyn said police were concerned motorists using the Davey Drv intersection were at high risk of being seriously injured or worse because of vehicles exceeding the speed limit travelling west bound.
“We have raised concerns with VicRoads over this matter and have advocated for this to be completed as priority. This is a dangerous area and as such we monitor it closely.
Leading sen const Hrynyszyn said the area was constantly policed and he was disappointed motorists continued to disobey the speed limit.
“We will continue to prosecute offenders found flaunting the speed limit.
“We want vehicles approaching the intersection to be well and truly under the speed limit by the time they get to Davey Drv and fully support the reduction in speed limit getting pushed back as far as needed to achieve this.
“If this saves one person from serious injury or worse, it’s worth it,” he said.
The Trafalgar Chamber of Commerce and Industry also has called for community feedback on the matter.
Chamber president Scott Draper said the chamber did not have a position but urged Trafalgar residents to have their say.
Mr Draper said the chamber had discussed a number of options in the past and a lot of ideas had been put forward including removal of the railway crossing at Davey Drv, a roundabout and traffic lights.
He said it needed to be 60km/hour on both east and west bound lanes in that area.
While the road is managed by RRV, shire community infrastructure director Cohen Van der Velde said council had lobbied for a speed reduction at the intersection.
Mr Van der Velde said council wrote to RRV in July last year requesting the east bound speed limit be reduced from 80km/h to 60km/h and an 80km/h transition be introduced on the west bound lane.
He said crash history at the site showed a fatal collision at the Princes Hwy/Hardy Drv intersection in July 2016, and a serious injury collision at the Davey Drv intersection in November 2017.
“Council is committed to reducing road trauma throughout the shire, and our advocacy is based on the crash history,” he said.
The speed limit review process involves several stages and will include engagement with key stakeholders, technical assessment and various levels of approvals, which may take up to several months before a resolution is reached.
A range of factors will be considered includBy ing pedestrian and vehicle numbers, road design and the type of road, the local environment and crash history when undertaking a review of a speed limit.
The community can provide feedback to the department via: easternengagement @roads.vic.gov.au