Shire applies to fix road blackspots

THE Surf Coast Shire is seeking $360,000 in government funding to fix two road black spots in Torquay and Anglesea.

At their meeting last month, councillors authorised officers to lodge and pursue applications with the federal government’s Black Spot Program for works at the intersection of Coombes Road and Ghazeepore Road in Torquay (with an estimated project cost of $140,000) and on Gum Flats Road from Forest Road to the Australian Automotive Research Centre (with an estimated project cost of $200,000).

The Coombes/Ghazeepore Road works are in response to a high number of residents raising concern about the safety of the intersection, and the safety improvements proposed would include splitter islands, lighting and pavement widening.

There have been concerns over the number of trail bike and single-vehicle run-off accidents on that stretch of Gum Flats Road despite the relatively low volume of vehicles, so the safety works would include a guard fence, custom trail bike signage and delineation improvements.

According to the report to councillors, VicRoads approached the council and invited it to apply for 2019-20 grant funding from at a number of blackspot/blacklength locations within the local road network that the shire manages.

If successful, the two projects would be fully funded through the blackspot funding program administered by VicRoads and there would be no requirement for a council contribution.

The report notes the shire has had a good rate of success in achieving blackspot funding over the last two years, including successfully attracted funding of $1.714 million for shoulder widening works on Cape Otway Road in 2017/18 and $1.1 million for three projects at Forest Road, Horseshoe Bend Road and Lorne’s William Street.

There are other known accident hotspots within the region such as the intersection of Deans Marsh Road and Cape Otway Road, but “as this is not a locally managed intersection,” the report states, “Surf Coast Shire is unable to attract any funding at this location through the black spot grant application.”