Caption: A project to deliver a roundabout and raised priority crossing at the intersection of Barnes Street, Clifton Avenue and Frayne Street in Stawell is underway.
Northern Grampians Shire Council will improve safety at high-use intersections throughout the municipality thanks to $2 million in State Government funding.
The $210-million Safe Local Roads and Streets Program adopts a Safe System Approach, recognising that people make mistakes, but road design should prevent those mistakes from resulting in death or serious injury.
The goal is to create a self-explaining road environment where vehicle speeds, layouts and crossings all work together to protect everyone using the road, including drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, through proactive safety upgrades on high-risk local roads, intersections and precincts such as schools.
Preparations to raise the intersection of Millett Street and Kings Avenue in St Arnaud is underway, along with a project to deliver a roundabout and raised priority crossing at the intersection of Barnes Street, Clifton Avenue and Frayne Street in Stawell.
Council will also install roundabouts at several locations along Ligar Street, Stawell, with two projects funded by the government grant. Roundabouts are designed to slow traffic, and this, in turn, makes intersections safer by reducing crash severity and the likelihood of serious injury.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said the council had identified the intersections of Ligar and Lamont, and Ligar and Franklin streets as initial priorities, based on traffic counts, crash history throughout the past five years and other safety data.
However, she said the organisation was reviewing the locations following community feedback received in September that the intersection of Ligar and Houston streets posed a greater safety risk.
"We are aiming to complete three roundabouts along Ligar Street to improve safety and manage traffic speeds consistently along the route," she said.
"The Ligar-Houston intersection was originally included in our funding application to the State Government but could not be accommodated within the available budget.
"The intersection with Franklin Street has the highest traffic count, but council staff are in the process of collecting further data to determine the final order of the projects. If the Ligar-Houston intersection is found to pose a greater risk to the community, this project could be prioritised and another placed on hold.
"We will advise the community of any changes to the priorities following appropriate consultation with the State Government.
"We are working towards a network solution, not an isolated intersection treatment, which is why we consider all three intersections important. We are working on securing additional funding to complete the final intersection in the network."
Works along Ligar Street are expected to start in coming months and all currently funded projects are due to be completed by May 2026.
Cr Hyslop said residents directly affected by the works would be notified of temporary disruptions to nearby roads, footpaths and nature strips.
"These disruptions are necessary to support council's ongoing efforts to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes," she said.
"The new roundabouts and raised intersections are designed to make intersections safer for everyone by reducing the risk and impact of crashes. We will also communicate any project updates and disruptions to the wider community through our social media channels."
Cr Hyslop said council staff determined the priority intersections for funding using data such as traffic counts, crash history, and reports of safety concerns and near misses.
She said several residents had also raised concerns about arterial roads, which are managed by the Department of Transport and Planning.
"To be eligible for the Safe Local Roads and Streets Program, all projects must involve roads and intersections under council's management," she said.
Cr Hyslop said the council welcomed the government's commitment to help improve the organisation's capacity to plan, fund and deliver safety improvements on the shire's roads.
"The Victorian Government has committed to the vision of halving the number of lives lost on the state's roads by 2030 and no fatalities or serious injuries by 2050, and we all have a part to play in achieving these targets," she said.
Currently, local governments own 87 percent of Victoria's road network, and 40 percent of serious injury claims and 41 percent of TAC claims of life costs occur because of crashes on roads owned and managed by local governments.
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