Hamilton's King Street and Shakespeare Street/Gordon Street intersection will see significant safety improvements after Council awarded a tender for its upgrade at last night's November Council meeting.
The contract for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection was awarded to M.F. & J.L. Willmore Contractors Pty Ltd for the total sum of $380,322.91 (incl. GST).
The upgrade project was made possible through a $260,000 grant received from the Federal Government's Blackspot Program, announced by Dan Tehan MP in July this year. The Black Spot Program targets road locations where crashes are occurring, reducing the risk of incidents through funding safety measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts.
Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Cr Chris Sharples said this is a significant project for the Southern Grampians community.
"Council identified and acknowledged the need for safety and access improvements at the King and Shakespeare Street intersection some time ago and have been working hard to design and fund the appropriate solution," Cr Sharples said.
"This is a high-traffic intersection with a history of incidents including three casualty crashes recorded in the last five years, two of which resulted in serious injury. It experiences a significant increase in traffic around the start and the end of school days with many school buses passing through and we also know that sporting events at Hamilton Indoor Leisure and Aquatic Centre (HILAC) and events at Hamilton Showgrounds, particularly Sheepvention, generate significant volumes of traffic and congestion.
"The creation of a roundabout at this intersection will reduce the potential for accidents and greatly improve safety for our community. We look forward to seeing work commence after much planning and development and we thank Dan Tehan and the Federal Government for the contribution to a safer Southern Grampians Shire," Cr Sharples concluded.
