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Two more motorists fall foul of infamous Mount Martha intersection

The money to fix a dangerous Mornington Peninsula junction has been gathering dust for five years while motorists continue to be put at risk.

A car waiting to turn right into Uralla Rd from Nepean Highway was rear ended by another vehicle about 10am on Monday. Picture: Lucy Callander
A car waiting to turn right into Uralla Rd from Nepean Highway was rear ended by another vehicle about 10am on Monday. Picture: Lucy Callander

 

A five year delay in fixing a notorious Mornington Peninsula intersection has been branded a disgrace after another horrific crash at the site.

Federal Liberal MP for Flinders Zoe McKenzie said the lack of action at Mount Martha’s Nepean Hwy and Uralla Rd intersection was a “disgrace”.

“Five years ago, the Federal Coalition Government provided full funding to make this intersection safe,” she said.

“270 days ago, the Albanese Government confirmed it would not remove the Coalition’s funding for it in its infrastructure review which saw $300 million ripped out of Peninsula projects in other infrastructure.

“It is almost a year since I erected a sign demanding action from Federal and State Governments on this site, and yet, there has still been no action by the Victorian Labor Government to improve this intersection.

“The money sits waiting, unused, still, and Labor Governments refuse to act. It’s a disgrace.”

Police direct traffic around the scene of a two car collision on Nepean Hwy in Mount Martha. Picture: Lucy Callander
Police direct traffic around the scene of a two car collision on Nepean Hwy in Mount Martha. Picture: Lucy Callander

The most recent crash at the intersection happened about 10am on Tuesday.

A female motorist was waiting to turn right into Uralla Rd from Nepean Hwy when her vehicle was rear ended by another car.

The Herald Sun has been told that the woman had just dropped off her grandchildren at a nearby school.

“If it had happened five minutes earlier they would have been in the back,” a man at the accident site said.

The woman was left shaken by the accident, but did not appear to be injured, he said.

The other driver was taken to Frankston Hospital for observation.

Both cars were towed from the scene.

Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie is urging the state government to fix the notorious intersection. Picture: Lucy Callander
Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie is urging the state government to fix the notorious intersection. Picture: Lucy Callander

The smash happened just metres from a sign posted by Flinders federal Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie declaring an upgrade of the intersection was fully funded and urging the state government to fix the site.

Ms McKenzie’s predecessor Greg Hunt allocated $10m to upgrade the intersection, including traffic lights, in 2019.

A further $10m was also provided to upgrade another deadly junction a few metres up the highway at Forest Dr.

Forest Drive upgrade: An artist's impression of how the Mount Martha intersection will look when the upgrade is complete. Picture: supplied
Forest Drive upgrade: An artist's impression of how the Mount Martha intersection will look when the upgrade is complete. Picture: supplied

Work on installing traffic lights at the Forest Dr intersection was finally given the green light by the state government, which is responsible for the highway, in 2022.

Locals were told construction would begin in 2023.

However, the project was delayed after being included in a federal government infrastructure review.

The project survived the review and preliminary works began in late July.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/two-more-motorists-fall-foul-of-infamous-mount-martha-intersection/news-story/e4898cbd09ab050c9a8a808c96da62ff