Road fear

Action needed: Silkstone resident Andrew Appleton is asking VicRoads to extend the 80km/h speed limit further.

By Brad Lester

FAMILIES fear they could be killed outside their front doors unless the speed limit along the South Gippsland Highway near Korumburra is reduced.
Residents of Silkstone, a community of 10 homes along the highway, believe speeding traffic is risking their lives on their doorstep.
And a recent crash closer to Korumburra has raised concerns that the entrance to town will see more serious accidents if the road is not repaired or bypassed.
Silkstone residents are renewing calls for VicRoads to reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h all the way to Fisher’s timber yard.
VicRoads last month extended the 80km/h zone around the bend alongside Coal Creek to improve road safety after a spate of accidents.
But Silkstone residents, including Andrew Appleton, have stepped up their campaign for VicRoads to extend the new zone further.
“It’s got to the stage where I don’t even look in the rear vision mirror when I turn in; that’s how bad it is,” he said, tired of seeing vehicles fast approaching while he waits to turn.
“It will probably take someone to be killed for them (VicRoads) to stop and think about it.”
Residents have lobbied VicRoads for the zone to be extended in the past, but say they were told the straight section of highway offered ample visibility and was safe.
“I realise that it’s a straight stretch of road but there is a bend up there that people just slingshot off,” Mr Appleton said.
“VicRoads wants uniform speed signs but they’ve got to be realistic and flexible.”
His wife Debbie has unsuccessfully asked VicRoads for turning lanes to help ease the danger.
“When you’re trying to turn into your driveway with a B-double coming up, it’s pretty scary. And sometimes when you’re trying to turn, people try to pass you,” she said.
“Nobody backs out of their driveway because it’s just too dangerous.”
Now with his eldest daughter learning to drive, Mr Appleton’s concerns have heightened.
“You feel for the younger ones if the highway frightens us,” he said.
Long time locals believe traffic has increased by three-fold over the past 20 years. Midge Burrows, a Silkstone resident of 21 years, said locals petitioned VicRoads to act 10 years ago, but to no avail.
“I don’t know how many times I’ve nearly been cleaned up here. It just makes you so nervous every time you try to get in and out of your drive. People just think it’s a racetrack along here,” she said.
Dale Byrne claims he is lucky to be alive after losing control of his utility at the Korumburra end of the 80km/h zone.
Mr Byrne said he was still picking up speed when he skidded on the wet road while travelling at around 60km/h.
The Bena milk tanker driver was heading towards Leongatha recently when his car slid across the road before spinning back towards Coal Creek and plunging down a steep embankment.
The young father said he was terrified and unable to control the vehicle on a stretch of road he said needs to be “bypassed or ripped up”.
“It’s a dangerous bit of road, there have been too many accidents,” he said.
Mr Byrne said people in Korumburra want something done on this road, with the majority wanting it bypassed.
He said when rain hits the road at the moment, the surface can become undriveable.
“Just the wear has made it as smooth as a table,” he said.
“When it rains a lot you can see the rainbow colour of the oil and fuel running down the road.”
Gippsland South MLA and Victorian Nationals leader, Peter Ryan, has promised to lobby VicRoads for a safety assessment of the stretch of road.
“I will instigate a process at VicRoads to enable traffic counts to be taken and consider other criteria when we are considering speed limits,” he said.
VicRoads Acting Regional Director Anita Curnow said recent speed limit changes should help alleviate problems with the road.
“The speed zone has been reduced to 80km/h to improve safety from the eastern side of the Korumburra to south-west of the Coal Creek Village,” she said.
“VicRoads has reviewed the speed limit in the vicinity of Silkstone Road and found this section of road does not meet requirements for further speed reductions.
“VicRoads generally provides slow turn lanes at intersections, based on traffic volumes and other road safety factors. It is the responsibility of landowners to provide access improvements to private property.”

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Posted by Chris Brown on Sep 22 2009. Filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry