Edwards says increasing Midland Highway freight traffic means limit reduction over short stretch is needed
By Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | November 21, 2012
A Victorian MP wants the speed limit on Midland Highway near Bendigo reduced to 80kmh due to large freight volumes.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards has recently presented a petition on behalf of 200 residents in Parliament, calling on VicRoads to release a study which has found the speed limit appropriate.
She believes a seven-kilometre stretch of the highway, between a Calder Highway off-ramp and Castlemaine, needs a lower speed as there are no rest stops or turning lanes for intersecting road or private driveways along the highway.
“If you lower the speed limit to 80kmh – the extra time it would take you to travel those seven kilometres is probably around 90 seconds,” Maree says.
“There is a lot more freight travelling and using that section of the road because they’re coming off the Calder Highway to transport freight to Castlemaine, which is the only entry point to Castlemaine.
“I think it’s really important that the Government looks at this and take into considerations these residents’ concerns because we know that there are too many people being killed on roads, particularly in regional Victoria, and lowering the speed limit even in areas like this of a small section of a road could make a huge difference.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Roads Edward O’Donohue has alerted Edwards to the VicRoads study that reviewed the section of the highway and found the speed limit to be fitting, she adds.
“I have called for a copy of that review so that the residents can see exactly what VicRoads came up with – the study would have depended on the time of the day so we need to see whether the review actually defines the overall picture or not.”
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