Overpass open - early and under budget
The Princes Freeway-Sand Rd overpass and interchange at Longwarry North opened to traffic last Wednesday afternoon.
However, the 80 kilometres per hour speed limit through the intersection will continue to about the end of the month while “tidying up” along the roadsides is completed.
It will then become 110 kph with the limit west of Bunyip River remaining at 100 kph.
Completed almost 10 months ahead of the date initially indicated when the $28.7 million project was confirmed, and under budget, it removes what Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester described as one of regional Victoria’s worst black spot accident intersections.
Mr Chester was joined at the crest of the overpass running north-south across the freeway for a brief “opening ceremony” and ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning by year five and six students from Longwarry Primary School, district residents, Federal Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent, State Member for Narracan Gary Blackwood, Baw Baw Shire councillors and senior officer and workers on the project from VicRoads and contractor Cut and Fill.
The Longwarry students weren’t born when the local community, primarily through the Longwarry district progress association, began campaigning for the overpass 17 years ago.
It will be nowhere near as long before they have their drivers’ licences and will benefit and appreciate the huge safety improvements.
The students were thrilled to be given the honour to be the first to walk to the high point of the overpass where they waved at the continuous flow of traffic passing below.
And they cheered loudly whenever truck drivers responded to them with toots of their horns.
Mr Chester pointed out that 25,000 vehicles use the Princes Freeway-Sand Rd intersection each day. But it was also dangerous.
Mr Chester highlighted 60 crashes that had occurred there between 2000 and 2015 resulting in three fatalities and a number of serious injuries.
It is now much safer with new entry and exit freeway ramps seamlessly connecting local townships and service centres.
The Federal Government contributed $21.5 towards the cost and the previous State Government allocated $7.1 million in its 20142015 budget.
Mr Broadbent said the interchange includes new roundabouts and entry and exit ramps on both sides of the freeway that improved access to Sand Rd, the freeway and service centres.
The reinstatement of the 110 kph limit on the freeway – it was reduced to 80 kph in 2009 - would be welcomed by motorists and freight operators.
He said he also had personal reasons for welcoming the massive safety improvement, referring to a “near miss” he had at the intersection.
Debbie Brown, who has been part of the community campaign since it started and as a former shire councillor and mayor, said as well as the high accident rate there had been many near misses.
She has been a frequent user of the intersection travelling between her home at Labertouche and Longwarry for many years.
Problems increased when the service centres were established on each side of the freeway, Ms Brown said.
The importance the district community placed on the project was highlighted by the number of them that turned out to see it finally become reality.
Among them was former Longwarry post master John Matthews, a passionate advocate for it and now retired at Rosebud, who travelled to Longwarry North for Friday’s opening because he “couldn’t have missed it”.