Another sixteen roads will be upgraded across the state as part of the Andrews Labor Government’s record road safety investment.
Last year Victoria recorded its lowest number of road deaths since records began, but 214 lives lost are still 214 too many.
Minister for Roads and Minister for Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford today announced that the Midland Highway between Buninyong and Meredith is one of eight regional roads to be made safer.
This $229 million investment will be boosted by a further $111 million to improve road safety across Melbourne, including improvements on another eight metropolitan roads.
Some of the roads that will receive upgrades include the Bellarine Highway between Leopold and Wallington, the South Gippsland Highway between Cranbourne East and Lang Lang and the Murray Valley Highway between Kangaroo Lake and Lake Boga.
These sixteen priority roads have been identified for safety upgrades following extensive investigations, including assessing each road’s crash history, topography and roadside environment.
The road safety projects will include flexible safety barriers and rumble strip line-marking, reducing the risk of head-on and run-off-road crashes.
The Labor Government’s will also improve more than 200 rural intersections, roll out more rumble-strip line-marking and flexible safety barriers, install fully-controlled right turns to improve safety in metropolitan areas, and make high-risk local roads safer.
These projects are part of the $1.4 billion Towards Zero Action Plan. Towards Zero aims to reduce road deaths to less than 200 a year and serious injuries by 15 per cent by 2020.
The first package of Towards Zero road safety upgrades is currently being rolled out across the state – including major upgrades on 20 high-risk roads, improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians, and installing new technology at dangerous rural intersections.
A new interactive map has been launched today where Victorians can find out more about the safety upgrades happening or planned in their area. For more information visit vicroads.vic.gov.au/towardszero
As noted by Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Jaala Pulford
“Last year Victoria experienced the lowest number of deaths on our roads since records began. While this was heartening, it’s no consolation to the hundreds of families who tragically lost a loved one on our roads.”
“One life lost is one too many – and that’s why we’re continuing our unprecedented investment in road safety upgrades across the state this year.”
