Raised intersections to be considered for busy Mill Park road
It copped fierce criticism from Whittlesea motorists, but there could be more raised intersections on the way as government officials look to combat hoons on a busy Mill Park thoroughfare.
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Raised intersections could be part of a State Government plan to upgrade Childs Rd and deter hoons from the busy Mill Park thoroughfare.
But the public and local politicians are calling for the speed bumps to be scrapped from safety plans, saying they “create more chaos on the roads”.
VicRoads identified seven “high-risk” intersections along Dalton Rd last year in a bid to slash the state’s road toll.
The raised pavement — which forces drivers to slow down as they cross through an intersection — sparked anger from motorists, saying they disrupted traffic flow.
Mill Park’s Jordan Bergamin said hoons would speed, do burnouts and run red lights on Childs Rd almost every day, but raised intersections should not be the answer.
“You can always hear car engines revving and tyres shredding around corners,” he said.
“Raised intersections, speed bumps or lower speed limits would likely not change this behaviour — these people just don’t care about speed limits and speed bumps would move the problem to a different road and just hinder residents.”
Motorist Goran Stojcevski said raised intersections along Dalton Rd caused near-misses.
“Drivers aren’t expecting speed bumps on a main road so they slam on the brakes, and then just floor it again to get back up to speed,” he said.
Greensborough Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Daniel Elliott said Childs Rd was a “massive concern” to police.
“There are a lot of issues with speed, collisions and stock-standard distracted drivers,” he said.
“It’s a very big traffic coridoor, it goes all the way from High St to Plenty Rd, so usually attracts a fair bit of attention.”
State Liberal MP for the northern metropolitan region Craig Ondarchie said drivers were avoiding Dalton Rd.
“The intersections are a bad idea,” he said.
“I live locally, and I experience these traffic frustrations daily — the minister should come and see for herself.”
But Minister for Transport Jacinta Allen failed to rule out the speed bumps for Childs Rd.
Spokeswoman from Ms Allen’s office Matilda Edwards Jézéquel said raised intersections were “one of many options” which would be considered.
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The upgrades include an extra lane in both directions between Beaumont Cres and Prince of Wales Ave, traffic lights Bowman Dr roundabout, and a new bridge over Darebin Creek. Safety barriers will also be installed.
Construction is expected to start from mid-to-late 2020, with more detailed plans still to be released.