EXPLORE OTHER OPTIONS FOR THOMPSON RD

I AM writing to protest the proposal to reduce Thompson Rd (between Separation St and Morgan St) to a single carriageway each way under the plans to make the road safer.

I’m the first to admit there have been some awful crashes on this stretch of road over the past few years. Tragically, four people have died on the road this year. But there surely has to be a better way than to constrict a major thoroughfare linking Corio to Highton than this kneejerk reaction.

Consider the factors along this stretch of road. This area is essentially all businesses, many are transport companies and require large trucks. B-doubles regularly use this section of road, with companies such as Apco, Border Express, Geelong Cement and Toll Logistics to name a few. Constricting large vehicles like these to a single carriageway makes no sense.

Among many reasons, a major consideration is that there is the goods train line crossing near Furner Ave.

Regularly these long trains crawl along at this crossing … they need to because of the sharp curve as they go under the Separation St bridge, plus there is a gradient downhill as they approach Geelong.

These often take about seven to eight minutes and sometimes longer because of crossing gates being down.

Even with the dual carriageway we have now, this traffic banks up for hundreds of metres either way.

A single lane each way will simply double the room this traffic needs to queue up … it will be a nightmare! It will choke what is a major thoroughfare for thousands of northern suburbs commuters and residents, and it will be quite dangerous having this happen, and it will, as trains use this crossing many times a day.

Many accidents are caused by vehicles turning right, either into businesses or from the side streets into Thompson Rd, such as Victor St, Sharon Court and Hume Reserve Rd. Maybe a simple solution is to ban right-hand turns in this area. Oblige traffic to only turn left into business, and exit left from them, too.

Perhaps have one or two Kings Way-style U-turn points in the middle of the road, that could be facilitated by removing the nature strip and widening the road to allow traffic to sit in the middle of the road.

One sees all the time how traffic heading south will want to turn into Apco, for example, that does create a bottleneck, especially close to the Morgan St intersection … have cars in particular only turn left and they can then plan their trip so they come to the businesses from the correct side of the road.

Perhaps a set of traffic lights at the Furner Ave crossing would also help.

All these can be done and it will keep the traffic running smoothly.

We have seen so often what Geelong’s streets look like when wide roads are constricted.

Malop St is a joke with what was done to it, and comparable roads like Fellmongers Rd in Breakwater is an example where being a single-lane road leads a wall of traffic all the way from the bridge to the roundabout at Boundary Rd in peak times.

The northern suburbs are blessed with well-planned dual-carriageway roads, please do not fall for a CBDbased suggestion.

It is a major thoroughfare for heavy traffic and large trucks, this will be a major mistake. Please don’t go ahead with this suggestion. David Sexton, Norlane West

TEXT TALK

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