Call for bypass as trucks cause havoc
Pulled out: a road sign awaits replacing on a traffic island at the intersection, removed to allow a truck passage.
By Brad Lester
THE lack of a bypass in Leongatha is forcing truck drivers to cross over a traffic island at one of the major intersections in town.
An earthmoving contractor with a big load was recently left with no alternative but to drive over an island at the intersection of Ogilvy, Long and Bair streets.
A concerned Leongatha resident, who wished to remain anonymous, believes a roundabout at the intersection would draw trucks away from Bair Street and improve safety.
The resident said with a bypass of Leongatha unlikely for many years, the roundabout would enable extra large vehicles to use Long Street as an alternative route to Bair Street, thereby improving pedestrian safety in the commercial strip.
A former dairy alongside the intersection has been demolished, paving the way for future works.
The intersection is one of the busiest in Leongatha, being en route to two primary schools and Leongatha Secondary College, and on the main road to Nerrena and Dumbalk.
But locals fear it will take a death before authorities start to make any moves on a bypass.
VicRoads does not have any plans to upgrade the intersection but regional director Patricia Liew said VicRoads would investigate the possibility of roundabouts and traffic lights, as part of planning for an alternate truck route through Leongatha.
"Last year South Gippsland Shire commissioned a traffic study in regards to a Leongatha alternate truck route. The study recommended a preferred option for an alternate truck route along Hughes Street and Long Street," she said.
"VicRoads will consider this route in future planning. Priority for a planning study must be considered on a statewide basis."
Council spokesperson Jeannie Hicks said the intersection would be addressed as part of the Leongatha Heavy Vehicle Bypass. Council is working with VicRoads to progress that project.
"It’s something that’s been on the cards for many years but nothing seems to be happening. It’s not ideal for heavy vehicles to come through the roundabout at Bair Street," he said.
Sergeant Scott Bodycomb of Leongatha Police supported a bypass to improve traffic safety in Leongatha.
Transport operator Trevor Riseley also believes a bypass would improve traffic flow in town but is not expecting action any time soon.
His father Phil was told by authorities more than 40 years ago a bypass would be built along Hughes Street, but nothing has eventuated since.
"If they’ve been working on a bypass for 40 years I don’t think we will see anything for another 40 years," he said.
Mr Riseley, of Riseley’s Transport in Leongatha, said the Ogilvy, Long and Bair streets junction was navigable by trucks as large as B-doubles.
He said vehicles carrying wide loads would encounter problems at intersections in most towns, not just the Ogilvy junction, but said the intersection could be
improved.
"Now the dairy is gone, there is scope for something to be done. What they are actually going to do to make it better, I don’t know," Mr Riseley said.
"Being a truckie, I don’t think a roundabout is a good idea. With a full load, we would have to slow down and accelerate up again."
The Ogilvy, Long and Bair streets intersection is regularly used by trucks with wide loads that are too big to negotiate the tight bends of Roughead and Bair streets.
Transport companies can obtain permits from VicRoads to temporarily remove signs from the intersection and travel over the traffic island.
Most recently, the gutter trap and kerb and channeling was damaged. The company concerned will replace the signs and repair the damage, in line with the permit conditions.
Sgt Bodycomb said the Ogilvy, Long and Bair streets intersection was not of high concern to police, but he would welcome improvements.
"It does not have a high collision rate but it’s certainly not the best intersection. There is the potential for a lot of issues to occur there," he said.
"The more that can be done to make any intersection safer, the better off we are going to be.
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