CURLEWIS residents are campaigning for traffic lights to be installed at a \u201cdifficult and treacherous\u201d intersection they face on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
The residents say several accidents have already occurred at the intersection of Portarlington and Hermsley roads, and that it\u2019s only a matter of time before someone dies.<\/p>\n
About 40 locals met at the intersection last week to share their personal accounts and frustrations, which were forwarded to Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe confusion as to who has right of way at the intersection is caused by the fact there are a possible 14 different options that cars can travel through the intersection,\u201d one resident said.<\/p>\n
Local Steve Rose said with the increased traffic flow on Portarlington Road as a result of the residential growth in Jetty Road in Drysdale, the intersection was becoming a very dangerous crossing point.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe approved Drysdale bypass will only add to the amount of traffic using Portarlington Road,\u201d Mr Rose said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the recent opening of the Curlewis Golf Club driving range, you now have cars doing U-turns at this intersection to go back to the entrance of the driving range.\u201d<\/p>\n
One resident said Hermsley Road was used by farm machinery and semi-trailers, which made it near impossible and unsafe for these vehicles to turn from Hermsley Road onto Portarlington Road, as they could not cross halfway into the intersection.<\/p>\n
Mr Rose said residents had many stories to tell of near misses, minor accidents, dangerous risk taking and trying to get out in peak hour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a woman who was involved in an accident five years ago there as she was crossing back after dropping her son to catch the school bus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer car was written off but luckily, she was not injured, nor were the occupants of the other car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could so easily have been worse, she either could have been badly injured or killed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the residents think of this every time one of our young adult children leaves home and has to go through the intersection.\u201d<\/p>\n
When residents raised their concerns with Ms Neville back in 2006, VicRoads installed lights at the rail trail just east of the intersection and installed a light sensor pad in Hermsley Road.<\/p>\n
But residents say the pedestrian lights are of little to no use because they\u2019re rarely used, and do nothing to stop the flow of traffic coming from Geelong.<\/p>\n
Ms Neville said she would ask VicRoads as a priority to re-examine the operation of the lights and the sensor pad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CURLEWIS residents are campaigning for traffic lights to be installed at a \u201cdifficult and treacherous\u201d intersection they face on a daily basis. The residents say several accidents have already occurred at the intersection of Portarlington and Hermsley roads, and that it\u2019s only a matter of time before someone dies. About 40 locals met at the […]<\/p>\n