By Oliver Lees
The state government has confirmed maintenance works will be prioritised on Melbourne-Lancefield Road in a bid to address community safety concerns.
Data from a survey of 4000 Victorian road users released by RACV earlier this month found Melbourne-Lancefield Road received the second highest number of safety reports of any road in the northern region.
According to the data, 71 per cent of respondents identified the Clarkefield stretch of the road as ‘dangerous’ or ‘very dangerous’.
Speaking at state Parliament on October 18, Northern Victoria MP Wendy Lovell said the community was fed up with the road’s “many potholes and constant congestion”.
“The minister needs to intervene and take action to make the Melbourne-Lancefield Rd safer for the many motorists that use it,” Ms Lovell said.
Roads Minister Ben Carroll told Star Weekly improvements would be made on the road as one of more than 230 road maintenance projects across northern Victoria.
“Based on feedback from the community and the data collected by our crews, we’ve prioritised important maintenance works on this road which will start early in 2022,” Mr Carroll said.
“These works will completely rebuild more than three kilometres of Melbourne-Lancefield Road, making it safer for the thousands of drivers who use it every day.’’
Across the state, dangerous behaviour of other drivers and poor road condition were the most commonly selected reasons for a road being deemed unsafe.
RACV executive general manager of motoring and mobility Phil Turnbull said the survey results are a timely reminder that road safety is everyone’s responsibility.
“Sixty-one per cent of respondents believe the speed limit on the selected roads should be reduced until improvements or upgrades have been made, highlighting that many Victorians believe reducing the speed on certain regional roads to address safety concerns is an appropriate approach,” Mr Turnbull said.
“All road users must drive in a safe manner, whether it’s driving at safe speeds, avoiding distractions or taking a break if we are fatigued.”
