CRASHES and near misses have been a major theme of public consultations on two roads stretching east out of Bendigo.
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Road users regularly raised concerns about intersections on the McIvor Highway and Strathfieldsaye Road, according to feedback released on Wednesday by Regional Roads Victoria.
Many people said it could be hard to turn onto the McIvor Highway from St Vincents Road, Cashens Road, Somerset Park Road and Pratts Park Road.
"It is impossible to turn right in busy periods and there are long delays turning left towards Bendigo," one road user commented.
Another wanted dedicated turning or overtaking lanes.
"Cars nearly hit you from behind and veer onto the shoulder to go around," they wrote.
Other people wanted additional lanes along stretches of the McIvor Highway and Strathfieldsaye Road.
Seventy per cent of motorists said it was hard to get onto, or leave streets along Strathfieldsaye Road, making it the "most significant area of concern for ... residents" according to RRV.
One intersection attracted more than 40 comments.
"Blucher Street intersection is becoming increasingly congested," one member of the public wrote.
"With further future (sic) residential developments, it will only get increasingly more (sic) difficult and more dangerous for vehicles attempting to turn right into Strathfieldsaye Rd," one person wrote.
Another said Junortoun Road should be connected to Club Court "as it would give a more direct route to Strathfeldsaye, sports facilities, maternal health centre and Strathfieldsaye Primary."
Congestion was also an issue at intersections during peak periods of the day, including creating a "dangerous" bottleneck near Catherine McAuley College's Coolock campus.
Cyclists said both roads needed shared walking and cycling paths.
"An off-road concrete bike track (like the creek trail) would be great for encouraging people to ride their bikes into work/school from the Imagine Estate (in Strathfieldsaye) to the city centre," one person said.
Another said Strathfieldsaye's bushland was "highly underused".
It needed better signage and parking to attract walkers and mountain bikers, they said.
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A Junortoun resident wanted sealed, shared pathways from the college through to Reservoir Road.
"This would encourage more students to take active transport to school and could ease traffic congestion," they said.
RRV plans to use the comments to plan works in Strathfieldsaye and Junortoun.
"Central Victoria is growing and we need to be prepared," RRV regional northern director Brian Westley said.
"McIvor Highway and Strathfieldsaye Road serve as important connections for our communities so it's vital we get this planning right.
"We're pleased to have heard from locals, commuters and visitors who are well placed to share their local knowledge, based on their first-hand experiences using these connections.
"The insights we've gained through community consultation will help form concept designs before we speak further with the community next year."
Community consultations will continue until December, with draft plans for change unveiled early in 2020.
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