Hume council has called for traffic lights at a dangerous Craigieburn intersection where drivers are increasingly frustrated by delays.
The council wants VicRoads to apply for Blackspot funding for lights at the intersection of Craigieburn Road and Cimberwood Drive, with a report finding it was the site of three casualty crashes between January 2011 and December 2015.
Council officers found Craigieburn Road carries more than 900 vehicles per hour, while about 136 vehicles use Cimberwood Road each hour. They said that installing traffic lights would improve traffic flow and safety, with the intersection currently controlled by a give-way sign.
Their report also found that during the 3-4pm peak, drivers waited close to four minutes before being able to safely turn right from Cimberwood Drive to Craigieburn Road.
The report was compiled in response to a petition signed by 90 people, which was presented to the council in April.
Aitken ward councillor Alan Bolton described the intersection as a nightmare.
“I use that road every day of the week, and I thank my lucky stars I have not been one of those casualties,” he said. “It causes a lot of angst to drivers in peak hour traffic.”
Fellow Aitken ward councillor Drew Jessop said he would not be surprised if there had been more casualty crashes than those reported.
He said while he supported calls for traffic lights to be installed at the intersection, he felt duplicating Craigieburn Road would be the best way forward. Preliminary plans for the duplication have been completed by VicRoads, but there is no funding or timeframe for the project.
