THE tragic death of a 22-year-old man after another serious crash on Remembrance Drive has reignited calls for works on a deadly intersection to be expedited.
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While it is important to acknowledge that Monday's incident was in no way connected to the crossroads at Madden Road and Remembrance Drive, Cardigan residents remain concerned that it is only a matter of time before another fatality occurs on the notorious intersection.
The calls for a redesign of the intersection has long been high on Councillor Daniel Moloney's radar and his want for a roundabout has also been backed up by Ripon MP Louise Staley.
Last year, the State Government installed rumble strips and reduced the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h, but according to Ms Staley, that action does not go far enough.
"My view is that all of the accidents as far as I'm aware has been caused by people on the crossroad and not caused by the speed on remembrance drive," Ms Staley said.
"I felt at the time the better and safer solution was to redesign that intersection so people coming from the side would have to stop.
"I'm not confident that rumble strips are the answer here. I would urge the government to look more seriously at considering funding a physical barrier - whether it's a roundabout or a reconfiguration of a crossroad - so people are forced to stop."
Since the opening of the Miners Rest saleyards and ongoing growth to the west of Ballarat, more traffic is on the road.
READ MORE: Avenue of honour introduces new speed limits
Ms Staley said any improvement should match the character of the road and knocking down trees was not an option.
"Whether it's the saleyards or BWEZ, there will be more traffic movement," she said.
"I am so far from being an engineer, I will leave it to the engineers to come up with options but for the state government to just cut the speed limit is not enough."
Cr Moloney said he was keen to see more discussions about the possibility of a roundabout, which at this stage remains unfunded.
"I met with residents just last week and there is a growing concern from the community regarding safety.
"As it continues to grow there's going to be more and more demand.
"I'm keen to see the discussion around a roundabout around Madden Drive escalated."
Roads Minister Jaala Pulford said the state government would continue to discuss the future use of the road.
"Any loss of life on our road network is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by yesterday's crash," she said.
"We've delivered a range of upgrades along this section of road in recent years, including speed reductions, new dedicated turning lanes and improved signage, to make it safer for everyone travelling through the area."
"A working group made up of Regional Roads Victoria, Victoria Police, the City of Ballarat and the Avenue of Honour committee is continuing to investigate a number of short-term and longer-term options to improve safety along the Avenue of Honour, while also protecting its integrity and history."
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