By ANEEKA SIMONIS
Traffic lights for safe crossing of busy main road…
SAFETY and travel concerns will be addressed with an imminent upgrade to a busy main road in Officer.
Traffic signals will be installed at the intersection of Shearwater Drive and Arena Parade, allowing residents to safely cross or access hard-to-get to places such as Lakeside Primary and the railway station along Cardinia Road.
Member for Gembrook Brad Battin said the works were in response to dozens of complaints made by parents and residents of Arena Parade who have seen kids take their lives into their own hands by cutting across the busy main road.
“At the moment, it would take pedestrians around 20 minutes to safely cross Cardinia Road. But the pedestrian crossing along the road will now let them cross in less than two minutes,” Mr Battin said as he met with project worker onsite on Tuesday 28 October.
“Not only will a shared path improve safety and amenity for cyclists and pedestrians but new footpath connections to the east side will improve connectivity to the Cardinia Road railway station and the existing path network,” he said.
The changes form part of the $2.7 million Cardinia Road upgrade which will create two lanes each way between Damon Street and the Pakenham Rail Line.
“Not only will all road users see an improvement in traffic movements as a result of the duplication, but it will help to cater for the increasing traffic needs as a result of growing development in the areas,” Mr Battin said.
“We are constantly hearing about the frustrations experienced by road users in the area and we are confident that this project will be an important step in alleviating that.”
The upgrade will also include a new northbound bus bay on the north-west corner of the Shearwater Drive and Arena Parade intersection.
Drivers are reminded to observe speed limits put in place for the works due to start in early November.
“During construction, there will be an increase in construction-related vehicles on the road, so we ask that road users take care when travelling through the area,” Mr Battin said.
The upgrade forms part of the State Government’s $12.63 million Cardinia Road investment which began in 2010.
