Greensborough Hwy: ‘Crazy’ traffic island to go, causing commuter chaos
It was meant to ease congestion on one of Melbourne’s busiest roads but a painted island merging three lanes into two has only resulted in near-collisions and confusion. And less than two months after it was installed, VicRoads is removing it.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A painted road island designed to ease congestion along a busy arterial in Watsonia is instead causing traffic chaos, with motorists calling it “ridiculous” and “dangerous”.
VicRoads narrowed the road northbound on Greensborough Highway, between Watsonia station and Grimshaw St, in early June to prevent drivers cutting into traffic just before the lights at the Grimshaw St-Greensborough Highway intersection, the Leader understands.
But the island will be removed today after Bundoora state Labor MP Colin Brooks last week voiced concerns about it.
“I understand why it’s been put there but don’t understand how it is meant to work,” he said.
“It creates confusion for motorists on an 80km/h road — you’ve got three lanes of traffic on a major arterial where people are doing 80km/h and those in the right lane are suddenly forced to merge into two lanes.”
Mr Brooks took to social media to slam the poorly-designed traffic island, describing it as “crazy” and “frustrating”.
St Helena’s Ray Muscat said drivers would travel straight through the painted traffic island to avoid collisions.
Skid marks in the grass adjacent suggest some frustrated drivers are also mounting the kerb.
“It’s not working and it’s not logical,” he said.
MORE: COUNCIL MERGER RAISES ALARM BELLS FOR ‘STUNNED’ NILLUMBIK RATEPAYERS
MONTSALVAT’S GRAND PLANS COULD INCLUDE $49M ART GALLERY
COMMUNITY PAYS TRIBUTE TO ELTHAM ‘ICON’ SIGMUND JORGENSEN
“Someone almost ran into my wife’s car and when I saw it for myself, I just thought it was so ridiculous.
“The traffic during peak hour banks up all the way down that stretch of road, but this traffic island basically eliminates 25m of that right lane for no good reason.”
A Department of Transport spokesperson, who did not wish to be named, said VicRoads would remove the traffic island after listening to concerns from police and the community.
“Last year, we made a number of safety improvements on Greensborough Highway on the approach to Grimshaw St in response to concerns about drivers using right-turn lanes to jump ahead of traffic queues at the intersection,” they said.
“Since making these improvements we’ve been made aware of concerns from police and the community about the painted traffic island potentially leading to increased confusion for drivers, so as a result, we will remove the island.”
Keilor man who drove through Israeli protesters ‘not anti-Semitic’
A Keilor man who drove through a crowd of Israeli protesters at a Palestine-Israel protest in Caulfield has said the attack “was not religiously motivated”.
Records smashed as Coburg openers find feet
Coburg imports Noah Thain and Cameron Harding etched their names into the record books with one of the most extraordinary partnerships in club and competition history.