Safety works on Anglesea Road complete

THE recently-finished safety upgrades between Waurn Ponds and Anglesea have already proven their worth, with the barriers recording their first crash within days of being finished.

The $13.7 million works along 25 kilometres of Anglesea Road and the Great Ocean Road took about 14 months to complete and include a wide centre line to reduce the risk of head-on crashes, roadside flexible safety barriers to prevent run-off-road crashes, rumble strips, and widened road shoulders.

The section of road was identified as among the 20 most high-risk roads across the state. In the 10- year period leading up to 2017, there were 89 serious crashes, resulting in five fatalities and 32 serious injuries.

Regional Roads Victoria chief regional roads officer Paul Northey said the high and increasing number of cars using the road was only one factor in what made it dangerous.

“Obviously, there’s lots of cars, but when you look at the side of the road, there’s lots of trees, powerlines and so forth. It’s a very skinny piece of road, so if you do happen to have an accident, veer off when you’re crossing the centre line, or veer off to the left, there’s a lot of hazards.”

RRV regional director for the south west Mark Koliba said nearly three quarters (73 per cent) of the crashes recorded in the section were run-offs or headon crashes.

The road safety upgrades are part of the $1.4 billion Towards Zero Plan and being delivered in partnership between the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and VicRoads, which aims to reduce the number of lives lost to 200 or fewer and serious injuries by 15 per cent by 2020.

Mr Koliba said the works would see a reduction in crashes and serious injuries along that part of Anglesea Road and the Great Ocean Road.

“Right across the state, there’s quite an interest in barrier works but they’ve been basically proven to reduce fatalities and serious injuries, so that’s why the investment is continuing.”

2018 saw a record low of 211 fatalities in Victoria but there have been 88 this year so far (a 51 per  cent increase), which South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said was disappointing.

“This is a relatively small investment in the scheme of things, but if it turns around those statistics, I think it can play a pretty important role in the years to come.”

More upgrades are being planned for the Bellarine Highway between Leopold and Wallington, and the Surf Coast Highway between Mount Duneed and Torquay.