IT’S feared the Elmore-Raywood Road will claim more lives.
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A petition with about 1500 signatures is calling on VicRoads to fix the dangerous stretch of road on which a young mother died last month.
Tony Cutting says he has fought for the road to be fixed for about 30 years with no luck. “It’s incredibly frustrating,” he said.
“VicRoads has told us for years that ‘there’s no one complaining, so why should I’?
“(But) in asking people about the petition, they straight away know about it and say they’ll sign it.”
Mr Cutting said it was up to people to make their voices heard by local representatives and VicRoads.
“I don’t want to step on people’s toes but we can’t sit back on our hands and allow people to get injured any more,” he said.
“I’ve been complaining for 30 years and I say to people if they don’t do something, nothing will change.
“I don’t want this to be a political football, but I’ve had a gutful of it.” Mr Cutting said the main concerns were around Kamarooka where the road was single lane. “There’s 12.7 kilometres of roads that need widening,” he said. “You come over hills and there can be trucks coming at you and you’ve got nowhere to go.”
Mr Cutting said the road was widened by Huntly Council before council amalgamations in 1994, when VicRoads took control of the road.
Bendigo councillor James Williams said he was uncomfortable with the road’s safety.
“It’s an issue in my ward and we’re supporting Tony in his endeavours to bring it to the attention of the local community,” he said.
Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan said she would table the petition in state parliament next week.
But Member for Northern Victoria Damian Drum said it was up to VicRoads to decide which roads were priorities, not politicians.
The Advertiser contacted VicRoads and Roads Minister Terry Mulder for comment but did not receive response in time for publication.
The petition comes as the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia said roads being resurfaced this financial year would halve.