Residents in Leopold appalled with state of Como Road following numerous accidents

Leopold residents are calling on a gravel road upgrade after a spate of accidents, including two in the past week.

Residents living on and around Como Road Leopold are appalled at the state of the road. Picture: Mark Wilson

A group of residents are calling on Geelong council to improve a gravel road after a spate of accidents.

Locals say that recent urban expansion in Leopold has made Como Road “unsafe,” with two accidents occurring on the stretch last week.

Concerns have been raised by the group that the speed limit is too high, citing severe corrugation and dust as major issues.

Travis Macdonald, who has lived on the road for over four years, said he has witnessed a number of accidents on the road in recent times.

He said that just before Christmas he was the first responder after a car rolled over.

“It’s such loose gravel, he lost control, his car fishtailed and rolled three times, went through the paddock and the fences,” he said.

A car rolled over on Como Road before Christmas last year.

“Luckily enough no one was hurt, I was expecting someone to be dead.”

He also said two cars lost control last week, one on Tuesday and one on Friday evening, with no injuries to either driver.

Mr Macdonald said he has “constantly” asking council to fix it.

“We have two roads that are bitumen roads that Como runs between,” he said.

This car lost control on Como Road last Friday.

This car lost control on Como Road last Tuesday.

“What’s happened is, we’re in a rural setting, and we’ve had a whole heap of new estates building around us, which is fine, but that combined with roadworks means the road actually gets a lot more traffic than it’s used to.

“On top of that, it’s tradies with heavy trucks, heavy impact vehicles on a dirt road.”

The two roads Mr Macdonald referred to are Ash and Melaleuca, both of which have 60km speed limits, while the limit on Como Road is 80km.

“It’s a built up area, so it should be 60km/h,” he said.

Residents living on and around Como Road Leopold are appalled at the state of the road. Picture: Mark Wilson

“The road often isn’t safe enough to do 80km/h, then of course people do 90km/h to 100km/h, so that is obviously an issue.

“But council have continually told me that they deem the road safe for 80km/h, and I totally disagree.”

Mr Macdonald said he has witnessed a number of accidents on the road in recent times.

He said that just before Christmas he was the first responder after a car rolled over.

“It’s such loose gravel, he lost control, his car fishtailed and rolled three times, went through the paddock and the fences,” he said.

“Luckily enough no one was hurt, I was expecting someone to be dead.”

He also said two cars lost control last week, one on Tuesday and one on Friday evening, with no injuries to either driver.

City of Greater Geelong executive director of city infrastructure, James Sirton, said council is working to reduce the speed limit.

An extension of a nearby road is set to reduce traffic.

“We’re in discussion with the Department of Transport and Planning about reducing the speed limit on Como Road,” Mr Sirton said.

“Once the extension of nearby Estuary Boulevard to Ash Road is finished, it will become the main east-west transport link in the area and will take much of the traffic currently using Como Road.”

Originally published as Residents in Leopold appalled with state of Como Road following numerous accidents