TRAFFIC lights, turning and pedestrian provisions are among the key proposals for the Marong Road released by Regional Roads Victoria as part of a $3.5 million planning project.
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Right turns onto the busy Marong Road, lighting and cycling access were commonly named as a problem.
Detailed plans for the Marong Road (Calder Highway) are open for community consultation as part of a process to plan for the road's future. Funding has not yet been allocated for actual works to the road.
The concept plans cover six intersections with the Marong Road: Sparrowhawk Road and Eastern Lane, Olympic Parade, Smiths Road, Maiden Gully Road and Carolyn Way, Beckhams Road and Schumakers Lane, and Hermitage and Monsants roads.
Bendigo Advertiser readers named several of these intersections as roads in need of work as part of a survey in early October.
Possibly changes to the urban sections of road are also included, covering the area between Ironbark and West Bendigo.
No changes are suggested for the intersection of the Marong Road and Edwards Road, at which two serious injury crashes have taken place in the past five years.
Wicks Road, Eastern Lane, Sparrowhawk Road
Difficulty turning and a lack of footpaths and pedestrian crossings was the feedback received on this intersection, the closest to Bendigo's centre of the six.
Sparrowhawk Road travels north from the Marong Road at this T intersection, while a few hundred metres to the east Wicks Road travels south west before meeting Eastern Lane. Eastern Lane does not directly intersect with the Marong Road.
Opening this intersection up to make Eastern Lane and Sparrowhawk Road a cross intersection is one change proposed. Closing access from Wicks Road to the Marong Road is also suggested.
Traffic signals, dedicated turning lanes, on road bike lanes, an off road path and improved drainage are among the other proposals.
Two serious injury crashes have taken place near this intersection in the past five years.
Olympic Parade
Right turns could be banned from Olympic Parade in the short term solution to difficulties turning onto the Marong Road.
Olympic Parade opens southward from the Marong Road in a T intersection.
Feedback suggested it was difficult for drivers to turn right onto the Marong Road at this intersection, and that the road surface was poor. Pedestrian and cycling infrastructure was also named as lacking.
The parade could be closed at Marong Road as part of a long term solution, depending on upgrades at Sparrowhawk Road and Eastern Lane.
Smiths Road
Entrance from the Marong Road to Smiths Road could be restricted as part of the changes proposed by Regional Roads Victoria.
The T intersection was upgraded in 2016, with new traffic lights, street lights, pedestrian and cyclist facilities installed.
Users suggested the intersection lacked walking and riding provisions.
Maiden Gully Road and Carolyn Way
People reported traffic banking at Maiden Gully Road and difficulty turning right onto the Marong Road during peak periods.
Maiden Gully Road stretches north from the Marong Road at this intersection. Carolyn Way does opens onto the highway via a service road.
Opening this intersection so Carolyn Way meets the highway was one change proposed by Regional Roads Victoria. Traffic signals, dedicated turning lanes, wider on-road cycling lanes, shared bike and pedestrian paths and improved bus stops were other possible plans.
Beckhams Road and Schumakers Lane
At Beckhams Road and Schumakers Lane users reported struggling to turn in and out of side streets.
The intersection lacks a formalised pedestrian crossing, pedestrian and cycling provisions and street lighting according to feedback.
Beckhams Road and Schumakers Lane meet the Marong Road in a cross intersection here, near the Maiden Gully Community Park.
Traffic signals and dedicated turning lanes are among the solutions proposed to mitigate these difficulties. A shared path and pedestrian push buttons at these signals were also suggested.
Hermitage and Monsants roads
Users reported difficulty turning in and out of side streets at this through intersection, where Hermitage Road to the north and Monsants Road to the south meet.
The absence of a formal pedestrian crossing point, lack of pedestrian and cycling provisions, and little street lighting were raised, as with other intersections.
Urban
The city Marong Road could get a raised median strip, U-turn provisions, a shared pedestrian and cycling path and an on-road bike lane if the concept plan's proposals are adopted.
This section of road stretches between Ironbark and West Bendigo.
But the proposals suggest some on-street parking could be removed. Safer access at petrol stations, improvements near the Goldmines Hotel and safer pedestrian crossings are among the changes suggested.
Users said it was difficult for pedestrians to cross roads and access to public transport was poor along this section of road.
Community members can share their thoughts on the Marong Road at a consultation session on October 24, from 4-7pm at the Bendigo Stadium Sky Lounge.
Find out more about plans for the Marong Road at: bit.ly/33SZJ7j
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