Great Ocean Road speed limits to drop as visitors flood in

A go-slow is being enforced on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Rd with the speed limit cut to just 20kmh in a popular section. See where the limits kick in.

A go-slow is being enforced on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Rd with the speed limit cut to just 20kmh in a popular section.

The limit — introduced because of extra visitors during Chinese New Year — will be in place for all of this month near the Twelve Apostles.

A warning sign with messages in Mandarin has also been installed to advise foreign motorists not to drive on the wrong side of the road.

SPEED LIMIT CUTS FOR GREAT OCEAN ROAD

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JAW-DROPPING COASTAL HOUSES NEAR GREAT OCEAN ROAD

Traffic at Point Roadnight on the Great Ocean Road. Picture: Mike Dugdale

The temporary new limit has been introduced near the Twelve Apostles visitor centre at Port Campbell with the speed dropping from 80kmh before gradually returning to the figure.

Sen-Sgt Chris Asenjo said speeding had been an issue along the coastal road and he warned drivers to obey the speed restrictions or face hefty penalties or worse.

The danger was exacerbated by large numbers of visitors getting out of their cars to take photographs.

“No one wants to go on a holiday and end up in hospital or have a family member end up dead,” Sen-Sgt Asenjo said. “It you come off a regional road at high speed there are good chances you are going to suffer some sort of trauma.”

VicRoads and Parks Victoria were also stepping up safety efforts as more than 128,000 tourists flooded the region for Chinese New Year, which ends on February 19.

The measures included more than 100 “drive on left” signs installed along the Great Ocean Rd this summer.

VicRoads chief regional roads officer Paul Northey told the Sunday Herald Sun: “We have installed a new digital multilingual message board on Princetown Rd providing safety messages to visitors heading back from the Twelve Apostles.

“This is on top of the hundreds of directional arrows and ‘Drive on Left’ signs we have already rolled out along the Great Ocean Rd and the busy inland routes that lead to it, to provide simple and constant reminders to drivers unfamiliar with driving on the left side of the road.”

Parks Victoria area chief ranger Michael Smith said Mandarin-speaking rangers would patrol the region.

“People visiting during the remainder of summer should allow extra time for their trip and observe the changed traffic conditions,” he said.

SPEED LIMIT REDUCTIONS

West of the visitor centre:

■ From Loch Ard to 200m west of the visitor centre, reduce from 80kmh-40kmh

■ From 200m west of the visitor centre, reduce to 20kmh

East of the visitor centre:

■ From the visitor centre to the underpass, 20kmh

■ From the underpass, transition back to 80kmh

Lower speeds are also put in place at road work sites along the Great Ocean Road to ensure the safety of workers and road users. A speed limit of 60kmh is in place at Memorial Arch (8am-6pm) — where visitors stop to take photos.

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