‘Accident waiting to happen’: Locals calling out dangerous Bellarine Peninsula road

Locals have described the area of Friday’s fatal collision in Portarlington as “a problem area” with thousands of tourists descend on the region over peak holiday period.

Bellarine locals are urging drivers to slow down on a “dangerous” stretch of road following a fatal crash in Portarlington last week. Picture: Mark Wilson

Portarlington residents have described a busy Bellarine road where a woman died last week as “an accident waiting to happen”.

The 65-year-old woman died when her car collided with another vehicle along Portarlington Rd on Friday.

Four people from the other vehicle, including an eight-week-old baby and a two-year-old girl, were taken to hospital.

On Tuesday, emergency services were called to another two-car crash less than a kilometre from the scene of the fatal collision.

A Geelong Highway Patrol officer said that crash occurred after a car failed to give way while turning left onto Portarlington Rd, from Point Richards Rd.

Resident Keith Bissell, who lives near the crash site, said he was concerned that if plans to build a multimillion dollar chocolate factory at the intersection near the crash site were approved, the road could become more dangerous.

Flowers at the scene of Friday’s fatal crash in Portarlington. A minor crash happened less than 1km from the scene on Tuesday. Picture: Alan Barber

If approved, the massive development, by The Bellarine Chocolate Co, is set to include a chocolaterie, restaurant, 12 farm stay cabins, children’s farm, berry gardens and an apple orchard on a 234,000sq m plot of land on Point Richards Road.

“I would have expected (the crash) to happen right there,” Mr Bissell said.

“This has been a problem area for a long time. You basically have to turn to your left if you are doing a right hand turn to see oncoming traffic.

“And they are talking about building a chocolate factory there which would increase traffic. It is crazy.”

Other residents took to social media calling for the road to be duplicated.

“Population has grown but not the infrastructure,” one resident wrote.

Department of Transport data shows up to 8000 cars travel along the stretch of road every day, while the population of the Bellarine grew by 6.46 per cent within the last year.

Artist's impressions of the proposed chocolaterie on the Bellarine Peninsula. Picture: Supplied

According to the City of Greater Geelong, about 12,000 tourists travel to Portarlington over the summer period.

Transport Accident Commission acting chief executive officer Liz Cairns urged all drivers to slow down when travelling to tourist hot spots across the region.

“We know the roads are busy in the Geelong region, particularly during the holidays, and we’re urging everyone to be patient,” she said.

The Department of Transport and Planning’s Barwon South West regional director, Michael Tudball, said the department worked with police after every serious crash to determine if improvement needed to made to a road.

Since January 1 this year, 11 people have lost their lives on Victorian roads.

Originally published as ‘Accident waiting to happen’: Locals calling out dangerous Bellarine Peninsula road