Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney today welcomed the announcement that the contract had been awarded for the installation of rumble strips at 180 level crossings across Victoria.
Rumble strips were installed at 20 priority sites at the end of last year, and the successful contractor, Downer EDI Works, will now work on the remaining 180 sites.
Ms Tierney said that the South West would benefit from the rumble strip program with safety improvements to 12 crossings.
The crossings include:
– Heath – Marsh Road, Panmure
– Panmure – Laang Road Panmure
– Dwarroon Road, Cudgee
– Hallowells Road Cudgee
– Condah – Hotspur Lower Road, Condah
– Cemetary Road, Condah
– Myamyn – Macarthur Road, Myamyn
– Milltown Mission Road, Milltown
– Three Waterholes Road, Mt Eckersley
– Golf Course Road, Hetwood South
– Meaghers Road, Heathmere
– Pennys Road, Bolwarra
“I have driven over the rumble strips that have been installed already and they certainly put the driver on notice that there is a crossing ahead,” Ms Tierney said.
“The contractor will work quickly, with work expected to start in January and finish in May.
“This means that by the middle of the year, 180 additional level crossing sites will be safer.
Locations for upgrades have been determined following a rigorous analysis including traffic volumes, heavy vehicle patronage and road and train speed limits so money is being invested where road safety benefits can be achieved.”
The Victorian Government announced a $33.2 million Level Crossing Safety Package in June last year which committed $11.7 million to install rumble strips at 200 level crossings in regional Victoria, and $11.1 million for automated advance warning systems at 53 crossings on both highways and high road traffic volume sites across the state.
The rumble strip and automated advance warning systems improvements are in addition to the level crossing upgrade program that has seen flashing lights, bells or boom gates installed at 153 locations around Victoria over the last 2 years.
“We are boosting safety measures at hundreds of level crossings across the state but drivers and pedestrians also have to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others and ensure they use crossings appropriately and obey warning signals,” Ms Tierney said.
For more information about the Victorian Government’s level crossing upgrades program go to www.doi.vic.gov.au/transport.