- Minister for Roads
The Andrews Labor Government has made it safer for people driving and cycling at north Torquay with a new roundabout at the Surfcoast Highway, South Beach Road and Messmate Road intersection.
Minister for Roads, Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford said this important upgrade would help improve traffic flow and make it safe for drivers and cyclists to turn through this busy intersection.
In a first for Victoria, this roundabout has been built with physical lane separators that will help boost safety, reduce speeds on approach to the intersection and prevent people from cutting into other lanes.
There has been a history of crashes at this intersection, including one fatality. Most incidents involved drivers turning right from South Beach Road onto the highway or turning right from the highway into South Beach Road.
The new roundabout will greatly improve safety for all road users by improving sight lines and allowing people to better select an appropriate gap to cross the intersection.
It has also been designed with the safety of cyclists in mind, with protected bike lanes a key feature.
This project was delivered by Regional Roads Victoria (RRV), in partnership with the Transport Accident Commission, as part of the $1.4 billion Towards Zero Action Plan.
RRV also worked closely with Surf Coast Shire Council, who contributed $800,000 to this project.
Final landscaping and lighting works at the roundabout will also take place in early 2020.
This vital upgrade is just one of the measures being rolled out to improve safety on the Surfcoast Highway.
Flexible safety barriers are also currently being installed between Mount Duneed Road and South Beach Road to help make the highway safer for the approximately 22,000 vehicles that travel it every day.
As noted by Minister for Roads and Minister for Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford
"This new roundabout will greatly improve safety for people travelling through this busy intersection."
"Whether you're riding a bike or driving through this intersection, the physical lane separators and protected bike lanes will make it safer and easier for everyone."
As stated by Member for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman
"We know that this part of Torquay is a growth area - that's why we've invested in this key infrastructure upgrade to ensure everyone can get to where they are going as safely as possible. This intersection has a notoriously unsafe history, and that is why we are doing something about it."
