U-turns will be banned at two high-risk locations on the Hume Freeway and the speed limit reduced on a stretch of the road at Kalkallo in a bid to improve safety.
Transport Victoria plans to reduce the speed limit on the northbound lanes of the freeway between Donnybrook Road and Cameron Street from 100km/h to 80km/h by November 30.
It said the reduce speed limit will provide drivers with more time to react in dangerous situations and reduce the distance it takes for a vehicle to come to a stop, reducing the likelihood and severity of road crashes and improving safety for everyone.
“At times there is an increase in traffic turning right from the northbound lanes into the Cameron Street median. The safer speed limit will provide more time for other northbound road users to notice and respond safely to queued traffic that is waiting to turn,” Transport Victoria said in a statement.
“Accidents have been recorded at Cameron Street.”
To further improve safety, U-turns will be banned at the Cameron Street and Gums Lane median openings.
Twelve 80km/h speed limit signs will be installed along the northbound lanes of the Hume Freeway on both sides of Donnybrook Road and on the Hume Freeway access ramp from Donnybrook Road to alert motorists to the speed reduction.
Temporary electronic message signs will also be installed to help increase driver awareness of the speed change.
To ensure the new bans on U-turns are visible, four ‘no U-turn’ signs will be installed on the northbound lanes of the Hume Freeway – two on the approach to Cameron Street and two on the approach to Gums Lane.
