Recent changes to a notoriously dangerous intersection are not enough for driver safety, says Cardigan Village residents, who are fed up of witnessing crashes outside their homes.
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The approach to the Madden Road, Weighbridge Road and Remembrance Drive intersection at Cardigan Village was reduced from a 100km/h to 80km/h speed limit in early May.
VicRoads also created right hand turning lanes and additional signage at the northern and southern approaches to the intersection.
The changes were introduced after years of community campaigning for safety improvements to Remembrance Drive and VicRoads consultation with the community in August 2017.
The Madden Road intersection has been the site of at least eight crashes in the past 10 years.
A resident reported a collision at the intersection to The Courier only one day after road workers finished repainting lines and creating right hand turning lanes at the site.
While Cardigan Village residents have reacted positively to the changes, many have called for the installation of a roundabout.
“I still see at least once a day people failing to stop at the stop sign and a lot are not completely slowing to the 80km… A roundabout potentially could made a significant change though,” Cardigan Village resident Alicia Bond said.
One Cardigan Village resident who asked not to be named said the intersection speed should be further reduced to 70km/h on Remembrance Drive and 60km/h at the built up areas on Madden Road.
“The issues I see are huge, from the idiots that use Haddon Windermere Road as a dragstrip thoroughfare, to the indiscriminate speeding lunatics on Remembrance Drive. And policing is non existent.
The issues I see are huge.
- Cardigan Village resident
“There should also be planning well under way for a secondary access road to Cardigan Village from Chisholmes Rd. That would relieve a lot of traffic at the intersection with many going into Cardigan Village themselves.”
City of Ballarat councillor Daniel Moloney, who is a member of the Arch of Victory/ Avenue of Honour Committee, said any aesthetic changes to Remembrance Drive such as installing a roundabout would require careful consideration given plans to establish the 20km stretch as a nationally significant heritage site.
“It is a case of making sure people are protected while also not doing anything to affect the aesthetics of the boulevard,” he said.
A roundabout was built at the Ballarat-Carngham Road and Haddon-Windermere Road intersection in 2016 in response to that intersection’s history of road accidents.
VicRoads was contacted for comment but did not respond to questions by deadline.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
