Notorious intersections at Shepparton and Strathmerton will be upgraded to make them safer after new Federal Government funding was announced.
The intersection of Labuan Rd and the Murray Valley Hwy at Strathmerton, and the Doyles Rd and Poplar Ave intersection at Shepparton, will both receive money under the Black Spot Program.
The intersection of Doyles Rd and Poplar Ave has been the site of several serious crashes over the years and has been allocated $736,000.
The money will be used to install road vehicle-activated speed signs, and road safety platforms on Poplar Ave.
A mountable concrete apron will also be installed to reduce the lane width, and the current ‘give way’ sign will be changed to a stop sign.
The Labuan Rd and Murray Valley Hwy intersection at Strathmerton was the scene of a fatal crash where five people died on April 20 last year after a car, ute and truck collided.
Cobram’s Debbie Markey, 60, and four international workers — Pin-Yu Wang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Wai Yan Lam and Zih-Yao Chen – were all killed in the crash.
The intersection has been allocated $870,000 under the Black Spot Program.
The money will be used to install electronic side-road vehicle-activated speed signs, remove the crest and tree on Labuan Rd just before the intersection, and install a splitter island, rumble strips and a mountable apron.
There will also be signage upgrades, and a speed reduction to 60km/h on Labuan Rd will be considered.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell has welcomed the funding, especially for the Labuan Rd and Murray Valley Hwy intersection, which she has been advocating for in the Victorian upper house of parliament since the fatal crash in April last year.
Ms Lovell said since the fatal crash, locals had continued to see other near-misses as cars drove through the intersection.
“I’m pleased to hear that after a long campaign, funding has finally been announced for safety improvements to the Labuan Rd and Murray Valley Hwy intersection,” she said.
“Now that the Federal Government has stepped up and supplied funds for the crucial upgrades to this dangerous intersection, I call on the (Victorian) Minister for Roads to instruct Regional Roads Victoria to immediately commence work on these federally funded safety improvements.”
A different part of Labuan Rd has also received funding, with the section from Murray Valley Hwy to Sandmount Rd allocated $1,290,000.
This will be used to install new splitter islands, widen the road and bellmouth sealing — the area of a side road that widens when connecting to a main road — as well as upgrade lighting at intersections and install signs.
It will also be used for line-marking at the existing one-lane bridge to give priority to southbound motorists, with supporting signage.
Under this round of Black Spot Program funding, the Federal Government is investing $33.3 million to address 56 known sites where serious crashes had occurred, or were at risk of occurring.
Other local roads to receive funding include the intersection of Goulburrn Valley Hwy and Kialla Lakes Dve, which will get $226,000.
The money will be used to install full-time, fully controlled right-turn signals on the traffic lights for the south approach to the intersection.
The Benalla-Tocumwal Rd, Peach Rd and Healy Rd intersection in Yarroweyah has been allocated $738,000 for the installation of electronic side road vehicle-activated speed limit signs and splitter islands and flag lighting on side roads.
The Campbell Rd and Goulburn Valley Hwy junction in Cobram has been allocated $267,000 for electronic side road vehicle-activated signs on the Murray Valley Hwy.
The plan also includes considering extending the 60km/h speed limit on the highway and on the south approach.