- Published:
- Thursday 16 August 2018
Major safety improvements on Anglesea Road and the Great Ocean Road between Freshwater Creek and Bellbrae are underway.
The Andrews Labor Government is investing $12 million to improve a 25-kilometre section of road, boosting safety and ensuring the road can continue to cater for tourists and locals alike.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan visited the worksite today where work is underway to widen and seal 18km of road shoulders.
Feedback from information sessions with the local community in September last year has been incorporated into the final designs.
The upgrade will include a wide centreline to reduce the likelihood of head on crashes and 29km of left-hand-side flexible safety barriers to prevent run off road crashes.
Rumble strips and raised reflective pavement markers will be also installed to alert drivers if they’re moving out of their lane.
Cyclists will also be safer with the wide centreline markings and rumble strips allowing more response time for drivers travelling in the opposite direction that may begin to swerve.
These works follow minor works earlier in the year including shoulder widening and wide centreline markings between Forest Road and Coalmine Road, and widened shoulders and flexible safety barriers between Waurn Ponds and Freshwater Creek.
Anglesea Road and The Great Ocean Road are vital tourist routes to the Surf Coast and Otways. The busy roads are used by around 14,000 vehicles per day, of which 10 per cent is commercial vehicles.
In the 10-year period leading up to 2017, there were 89 serious crashes recorded on this stretch of road. Tragically, five people lost their lives and 32 people were seriously injured.
The safety upgrades are part of the Labor Government’s Towards Zero Action Plan, being delivered in partnership between the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and VicRoads.
The Towards Zero Action Plan aims to reduce the number of lives lost to 200 or fewer and serious injuries by 15 per cent by 2020.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“These roads are two of the fastest growing corridors in the region, that’s why we’re investing in these vital upgrades to turn them into some of the safest roads in the state.”
“We’ve listened to the local community and taken their feedback into account to ensure this road is safer, more reliable and caters to the needs of everyone who uses it.”