Turning lanes, speed cameras and pedestrian crossings were all suggested safety improvements by residents on Marong Road between Ironbark and Maiden Gully, described as a “very dangerous” stretch of road by Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards.
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Almost 40 crashes in five years, 17 of which resulted in serious injuries, have occurred on the 60km/h stretch of road.
Residential growth in Marong and Maiden Gully has increased traffic volumes on the road, with 12,000 vehicles travelling along the bitumen each day – a figure which is expected to almost double in the coming years.
Dean White, a resident of 12 years, is regularly awoken in the early hours to the sound of a speeding motorbike.
“They just fly down here,” he said.
Some mornings, Mr White would spent 10 minutes trying to get onto Marong Road.
The solution?
Turning lanes at Booth and Dare Streets would reduce accidents, according to Mr White, who knows someone involved in two separate crashes in that area.
Dare Street was used as a back route to Bendigo Stadium by many drivers, he said, making the turnoff a busy and dangerous section of Marong Road.
Bernie Burke said speeding was the main issue, which, combined with increased traffic volumes, made it difficult to cross the road at times.
A pedestrian crossing would help slow down traffic, he believed.
Windscreen City manager Shane Allan has seen plenty of crashes in his 22 years at the company.
Traffic lights or a speed camera could act as a deterrent, but driver behaviour was the main problem with the road, according to Mr Allan.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards earlier this week said it was a “very dangerous” stretch of road.
In April, a 47-year-old man was left in a critical condition after suffering multiple fractures to his knees and toes, deep lacerations to his elbow and required a blood infusion, Bendigo Magistrates’ Court heard in December.
VicRoads is conducting a study to understand the future needs of drivers and the freight industry for Marong Road.
The $3.5 million study, funded by the state government, will be informed by community opinion.
VicRoads will hold a drop-in session at Bendigo Stadium on February 1 from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.
Ms Edwards said all safety improvement options, from duplication and safety barriers to road widening, are currently on the table.
“We want locals to come on down and have their say on potential changes to a road that many use every day,” she said.
Between 2012 and 2017, there were 39 crashes along this section of road leading to 52 injuries, with 17 of them serious.
