General News
7 August, 2023
Green light to town speed review
CALDER Highway speed limits at Inglewood will be reviewed. The breakthrough comes more than six months after a New Year’s Eve truck rollover closed Brooke Street for more than 10 hours. An ongoing community campaign has called for...
By CHRIS EARL
CALDER Highway speed limits at Inglewood will be reviewed.
The breakthrough comes more than six months after a New Year’s Eve truck rollover closed Brooke Street for more than 10 hours.
An ongoing community campaign has called for sections of the street to be 40kmh and installation of speed check signs to increase safety for pedestrians and drivers. Brook Street is currently a 50kmh zone.
Inglewood Development and Tourism last Thursday was told there would be a review.
President Peter Moore said: “This is a breakthrough in making the street safer for shoppers. There have been too many accidents and too many close calls this year alone.”
Department of Transport and Planning later confirmed plans to assess local requests.
“When assessing speed limit reviews the department takes into account factors including types of road users, the surrounding road environment, crash risk and history, council recommendation, community sentiment and traffic volume to ensure set speed limits are appropriate,” the department said.
The Inglewood review comes as Calder Highway Improvement Committee also discusses calls for action to improve safety at Wedderburn and Bridgewater.
Copies of a petition organised by Cheryl Fowler to install a pedestrian crossing at Wedderburn were tabled at CHIC’s meeting in Gisborne last Friday.
Loddon Shire’s representative Wendy Murphy said department representatives would investigate whether crossing works could be added to highway projects.
Cr Murphy said” “The department said it would continue to monitor any funding that may arise. It’s on the radar but not one it is particularly looking at.”
And Cr Murphy said Friday’s meeting was also told the department was investigating the current bridge crossing the Loddon River at Bridgewater.
CHIC members heard that the bridge assessment was in its development phase and would include assessment of options that could see an upgrade or the bridge replaced.
There have also been calls in Bridgewater for the installation of a pedestrian crossing.