By Laura Michell
Hume council will call on the state government to fix a ‘hazardous’ Roxburgh Park roundabout before it is the scene of a fatality.
The council will write to Roads Minister Melissa Horne to raise its concerns about the poor performance of the roundabout at the intersection of Somerton Road and Roxburgh Park Drive.
The council will request that the government consider allowing both lanes from Roxburgh Park Drive to turn left onto Somerton Road and/or the use of metering signals on the existing roundabout on the Somerton Road eastbound approach to the intersection during peak hours.
It is also requested that Ms Horne provide it with a timeframe for the duplication of Somerton Road.
“If implementation of this upgrade does not commence within 12 months, council believes that signalisation of the Roxburgh Park Drive intersection must be considered as an urgent priority,” a notice of motion to the September 9 council meeting stated.
Cr Sam Misho, who raised the issue at the council meeting, said the roundabout was extremely busy during peak hours.
He said a lot of drivers drove in the right lane and completed a full turn of the roundabout to try and avoid the traffic waiting to turn left.
“It is a hazardous roundabout and I think something needs to be done about it,” he said.
“We need to address this serious issue before we have a fatality.”
Cr Misho said 25,000 vehicles used Somerton Road each day, resulting in significant congestion and “compromising the safety” of drivers and passengers due to “aggressive driving behaviours”.
“For more than a decade council has been advocating for the duplication of Somerton Road. Whilst I acknowledge that we have a business case, it is unknown when this capital works will commence let alone come to fruition,” he said.
“We need to get the state government to fund the Somerton Road duplication.”
The state government was contacted for comment.
