Southern Grampians Shire Council has started planning additional road safety treatments on some sections of community connector roads across the shire, as well as roads across the shire that connect major transport routes.
In May this year, Council engaged independent road safety auditor HDS Australia Pty Ltd to review 250kms of roads across the shire including Nareen, Cavendish-Coleraine, Mill, Mount Napier, Hamilton-Chatsworth, Carramut-Glenthompson, Blackwood-Dunkeld, Woolsthorpe and South Boundary roads – as well as Petschels Lane.
HDS also audited sections of road that connect major transport routes, such as Mount Napier, North Boundary, Mount Baimbridge, Hensley Park and Bree roads – and King, Tyers, Shakespeare, Cox, Victoria, Lonsdale, Foster, Fenton, French, Kennedy, Thompson and Brown streets.
Acting CEO Darren Barber said HDS inspected the roads during the day and night, in both dry and wet weather and reviewed crash statistics on the roads between 2014 and 2019 to underpin their findings.
“The report provided some expert, practical solutions to help guide Council in our road maintenance program,” said Mr Barber. “It offers the latest advice for the placement of traffic signage, as well as suggestions such as additional line marking at roadside barriers, to discourage vehicles overtaking.”
Mr Barber said the report highlighted areas of roadside vegetation in Hamilton that could be cut back further to improve the line of sight for pedestrians, wheelchair and mobility scooter users and motorists.
“It also flagged possible locations for zebra crossings to improve road safety in Hamilton’s more built-up areas that have high pedestrian activity.”
Mr Barber said the report identified roundabouts where visibility could be improved by lighting, as well as areas where city speed limits could be lowered from 60km/ph to 50km/ph.
“Council is pleased to have a set of valuable recommendations that can improve road safety treatments and we plan to start with the higher risk locations and move down the list of priorities as funding becomes available,” Mr Barber concluded.
