A SURF Coast Highway intersection flagged as dangerous by locals is line for safety improvements, but responsibility for major works sits with the state government and its funding status remains unclear.<\/p>\n
The Blackgate Road intersection has seen multiple crashes in recent years.<\/p>\n
In June last year, a three-car collision at the intersection left two vehicles wedged against a power pole, while a separate crash in January saw three people, including two children, taken to hospital with upper body injuries.<\/p>\n
Following both incidents, locals took to social media to call for safety improvements, with some saying they avoided the highway during peak periods.<\/p>\n
“Enough is enough,” one resident said. “Let’s get some traffic lights here please.”<\/p>\n
Another said a roundabout was needed “before someone is killed”.<\/p>\n
Surf Coast Shire general manager of placemaking and environment, Chris Pike, said the intersection had been the site of multiple crashes in recent years.<\/p>\n
“The Blackgate Gate\/Surf Coast Highway intersection is something that we’re concerned about after crashes in recent years,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We’re pleased that the Department of Transport and Planning is looking at safety improvements once funding is available.”<\/p>\n
The Department of Transport and Planning was contacted for comment but had not responded as this newspaper went to print.<\/p>\n
Shire documents have also identified Blackgate Road as a broader problem corridor, with crashes recorded along the route, including serious injuries at its intersections.<\/p>\n
Design works are under way for a raised compact roundabout at the Blackgate Road and Horseshoe Bend Road intersection, with the project to be funded under the federal government’s black spot program.<\/p>\n
“The route is popular with cyclists, and issues including drivers failing to give way and road surface conditions causing vehicles to swerve had contributed to safety risks,” Pike said.<\/p>\n
Once the design phase is complete, he said, the shire would open a tender for construction.<\/p>\n
A construction timeline will be confirmed after a contractor has been appointed, but works are not expected to start until later this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A SURF Coast Highway intersection flagged as dangerous by locals is line for safety improvements, but responsibility for major works sits with the state government and its funding status remains unclear. The Blackgate Road intersection has seen multiple crashes in recent years. In June last year, a three-car collision at the intersection left two vehicles […]<\/p>\n