By YASEMIN TALAT
DERRIMUT will receive a $430,000 upgrade of one of its key intersections as part of the Safer Road Infrastructure Program (SRIP).
Works, expected to start in early 2014, will target the intersection of Boundary Road, Marwen and William Anglis drives, and will take up to two months to complete.
Member for Western Metropolitan Region Bernie Finn MP announced last week the money would be spent upgrading the intersection to improve road safety.
Mr Finn said the intersection had recorded 12 crashes in the five years to 30 June 2012, one of which resulted in a fatality and three in serious injury.
“This intersection has a history of crashes, and the funding I am announcing today will help to address this trend,” he said.
“I am sure it will be welcome news for drivers in the nearby industrial estates who regularly travel these roads.”
The safety improvements includes installing a fully controlled right turn on the east and west approaches to the intersection, the banning of U turns, upgrading the lighting to more visible LED lanterns and installing skid resistant overlay.
The program was designed to make roads and roadsides safer through targeted work to address common causes of crashes.
The program has produced a 31 per cent drop for all casualty crashes, according to an evaluation conducted by the Monash University Accident Research Centre.
Mr Finn said the Victorian Government had significantly boosted the program to $1 billion over 10 years.
And the increase of more than 30 per cent a year was a key part of Victoria’s new 10-year Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022, he said.
“We’ve had successive record low road tolls in Victoria, and we need to keep working hard to ensure that we stay a world leader in road safety,” Mr Finn said.
