Calls heard for road safety barriers on Walhalla Rd

Calls for road safety improvements following a fatal accident on Walhalla Rd in June have been heard.

Road safety barriers will be installed on a notorious bend where two serious collisions occurred in a three week period.

Community members, police, emergency services personnel and members of parliament immediately called for urgent action.

Regional Roads Victoria last week has announced long term safety upgrades and installation of reduced speed warning signs as the first step in response to community demands.

Responding to local concerns after visiting the site of two serious vehicle crashes, The Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Region Melina Bath wrote to the State Government, calling for urgent safety upgrades.

Ms Bath’s letter to Roads and Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll requested a full road safety assessment by RRV and implementation of appropriate upgrades to minimise risk to drivers and improve safety.

The letter was co-signed by local volunteer first responders.

“Over the past eight years the Andrews Government has been determined to rollout safety barriers on our straight highways, but it has failed to address serious road safety issues in our mountain communities and high country.

“I am pleased the state government has finally listened to the community in regard to this highly dangerous corner in Walhalla.

“It is also pleasing that our emergency services personnel should receive less callouts and confronting incidents the road safety barriers are installed,” she said.

Ms Bath said the historic Walhalla township attracted tourists from all over the world and had been recognised as a premiere destination – “locals and tourists deserve roads that that they can travel on more safely with their loved ones.”

“The engineering work and erection of roadside barriers on Walhalla Rd will take time to plan and deliver, but it’s good news it’s finally in progress.

“Locals can be assured I will continue to monitor progress on Walhalla Road and work with them to ensure these road safety upgrades are delivered in a timely manner,” Ms Bath said.

In both recent accidents, vehicles plunged 30 metres down the embankment off Walhalla Rd towards Stringers Creek.

A 19-year-old Drouin man who was a back seat passenger in a vehicle, died in a collision on June 19. Three others in the vehicle, including the driver, sustained serious injuries.

There were no serious injuries in the second collision on July 10.

Police also called for a lower speed limit on the Walhalla Rd. Baw Baw Highway Patrol sergeant Andy Milbourne recommended the speed limit be reduced to 60 kilometres per hour along the road from Walhalla to the Tyers-Walhalla Rd intersection.

While acknowledging speed was not a factor in the two recent collisions, he said the road surface and road infrastructure did not support an 80 kilometre per hour zone.

Sgt Milbourne said the two collisions occurred within the 40 kilometre zone just south of the Walhalla township.

“I have also recommended it should be 60 all the way through to the end. That road is not suitable to be 80 kilometres per hour. The surface and infrastructure is not good.

“Speed has not been the issue but it should be 60 all the way,” he said.