110 SPEED PUSH

Survey prompts VicRoads to review Princes Fwy limit

VICROADS will consider a 110km/h limit on the Princes Freeway between Werribee and Winchelsea after overwhelming public support for raising the speed on the busy stretch. More than 80 per cent of those who took part in a questionnaire commissioned by South Barwon MP Andrew Katos supported the change.

“We had near 1900 responses to the survey. Just over 80 per cent supported increasing the speed limit from 100km/h to 110km/h,” Mr Katos said.

However, both the Labor Government and Opposition are yet to commit to any speed limit change ahead of the November state election.

A SPEED limit review of the Princes Freeway between Werribee and Winchelsea will be undertaken by VicRoads, after overwhelming support for raising the limit to 110km/h.

More than 80 per cent of respondents to a questionnaire commissioned by South Barwon MP Andrew Katos supported the limit change.

However, both the Labor Government and Coalition Opposition are yet to commit to any speed limit change ahead of the November state election.

State Roads Minister Luke Donnellan indicated last year he was open to change after the installation of safety barriers is completed, while Mr Katos and Coalition MP Simon Ramsay have both endorsed the concept.

Mr Katos said support for change coincided with a public push for police to enforce the ‘keep left unless overtaking’ rule. He said while a limit lift was not yet Coalition policy, he was advocating for the change within the party.

“We had near 1900 responses to the survey. Just over 80 per cent supported in- creasing the speed limit from 100km/h to 110km/h,” the South Barwon MP said.

“There’s a strong view in the Geelong region that you have the freeways to Ballarat, Bendigo, up the Hume set at 110 (km/h).

“People also wanted to see the ‘keep left unless overtaking rule’ enforced more strongly, not that it’s a criticism of police, moreso a criticism of a government that’s taken resources out of highway patrols.”

A spokeswoman for Mr Donnellan left the door open to change.

“Our No.1 priority is keeping people safe on our roads, that’s why we take speed limit changes very seriously,” the spokeswoman said.

“To ensure the continued safety of motorists and to address community concerns, I’ve asked VicRoads to undertake a speed limit review on these roads once all the new flexible safety barriers have been installed.”

The State Government has previously ruled out a limit change to the Princes Highway between Winchelsea and Waurn Ponds due to at-grade intersections, despite many instances of 110km/h freeways with similar intersections such as the Hume and Goulburn Valley.

No explanation has been given for the Geelong Ring Road’s 100km/h limit, given it is dual carriageway with grade separations.

RACV chiefs have called for the 110km/h change for the past three years, highlighting the Geelong region’s exception to the state speed limit rule.

The Geelong Ring Road to Waurn Ponds was completed earlier this decade with the dual carriageway extended to Winchelsea two years ago.

Duplication work is under way between Winchelsea and Colac with VicRoads indicating a completion date sometime in late 2019.

“To ensure the continued safety of motorists and to address community concerns, I’ve asked VicRoads to undertake a speed limit review on these roads once all the new flexible safety barriers have been installed.” SPOKESWOMAN FOR STATE ROADS MINISTER LUKE DONNELLAN