Date: 2008-05-20
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Over $3.6 million worth of road upgrades are set to begin in Central Goldfields and Hepburn Shires to improve road safety, Minister for Roads Tim Pallas said today. Mr Pallas said the Brumby Government was taking action to improve the road network in communities across Victoria and these upgrades would boost road safety in the region.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Over $3.6 million worth of road upgrades are set to begin in Central Goldfields and Hepburn Shires to improve road safety, Minister for Roads Tim Pallas said today.
Mr Pallas said the Brumby Government was taking action to improve the road network in communities across Victoria and these upgrades would boost road safety in the region.
“Improvements include installing safety barriers, sealing, shoulders and delineation at various locations,” Mr Pallas said.
“The projects are funded by the Brumby Government’s $650 million Safer Road Infrastructure Program, aimed at boosting safety at intersections and lengths of road that have record run-off-crashes.”
Run-off-road crashes are where motorists lose control of their vehicle and run off the road, often hitting roadside objects. Over the past five years they have accounted for 40 per cent of fatalities and 28 per cent of serious injuries.
Mr Pallas said these crashes represent a substantial proportion of the road toll and are the silent killers on our roads.
“This Government allocated $83 million in the 2008-09 State Budget to the Safer Road Infrastructure Program for a range of projects including four in Central Goldfields and Hepburn Shires.”
· $1.75 million will be invested in safety upgrades along Ballarat-Maryborough Road from Miners Rest to Maryborough;
· Almost $1.49 million will be invested in safety upgrades along Bendigo-Maryborough Road to Dunolly;
· $375,000 will be invested in safety upgrades at various locations from Dunolly to Moliagul;
· $30,000 will be invested to widen the intersection of Bendigo-Maryborough Road and Maryborough-Dunolly Road.
“Improving safety on our roads is a key focus of the Government’s arrive alive road safety strategy, which aims to cut the road toll and reduce serious injuries on our roads by 30 per cent.
“While Victoria has recorded our five lowest road tolls in the past five years, we are committed to further reducing road trauma, particularly in regional areas.
“The Brumby Government has made record investments in improving road safety infrastructure. Since 1999 we have spent over $5.8 billion to improve roads, $2.5 billion of which has been on roads in country Victoria.”
The four sites selected for road safety improvements all have a history of run-off-road crashes. The projects are to begin in early June.