This morning Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards announced a $750,000 plan for traffic lights at the corner of the Calder Highway and Edwards Road, Maiden Gully.

She said in the past five years there had been 10 crashes and 19 people seriously injured there.

Last November Bendigo Advertiser readers voted the black spot Bendigo’s worst intersection.

“For a long time it’s been a very difficult intersection for the people who live out here,” Ms Edwards said.

“Maiden Gully is a big growth area in Bendigo. So it’s really important that this is actually upgraded for safety for the amount of traffic that is using this intersection now.”

Ms Edwards said about 11,500 vehicles used the intersection every day, with a new school and a housing development fueling traffic volume.

She said the upgrade would help ease congestion and improve traffic flow.

The Maiden Gully Progress Association began calling for action at the intersection in November last year, following a spate of serious crashes.

Committee member Damien Power said peak periods in the mornings and afternoons were particularly dangerous.

“It’s been very lucky no-one has been killed up to this point,” he said.

“Maiden Gully has grown so much in the last few years. And if something didn’t happen in the very near future it was going to be too late for someone.”

VicRoads regional director Mal Kersting was hopeful construction could start in the next couple of months.

“We’re well progressed. We’ve completed the design. We’re actually out to tender at the moment. We’re also dependent on the weather, so we’ll see how that goes,” he said.

“So we are well placed to undertake construction fairly quickly on this project.”

Mr Kersting said once construction started the project would take 12 weeks to complete. He flagged temporary traffic detours.

“There will be occasions when there will be some level of disruption. But we’ll make sure we keep traffic moving through the intersection – and being able to access properties as well,” he said.