Injury black spot shining bright after federally funded upgrade
Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson says drivers are already benefiting from a safety upgrade at an injury-prone intersection in Townsville with as a major upgrade nears completion.
A roundabout and street lights are being installed at the intersection of Angus Avenue and Dalrymple Service Road thanks to $735,000 worth of funding through the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program.
Mr Thompson said the project was identified as a priority after five crashes causing injury occurred at the location in one year.
“There’s nothing more important when it comes to our roads than safety, and it wasn’t good enough that a suburban intersection, right near a major school, was causing so many crashes,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve backed this project with federal funding to ensure that we’re doing as much as we can to prevent locals being seriously hurt.”
Mr Thompson said the roundabout would slow cars down and give them more time to react to potential dangers at the intersection.
“What we found here was that drivers were travelling faster than was safe, which meant if there was a risk of a crash there wasn’t enough time to slow down,” he said.
“There also weren’t any protected turning lanes on Angus Avenue which meant cars that were queuing to turn were waiting in the through traffic lane which caused a hazard.
“The lower speeds which will come about thanks to the roundabout will not only give drivers more time to react to hazards, but also help them adhere to school zone speed limits and assist pedestrians crossing.”
Other black spots in Townsville receiving funding under the program include Charles Street in Kirwan, south east of Sabadall Street, and Horseshoe Bay Rd, Nautilus St and Olympus Cres on Magnetic Island.
Research shows that investments made through the program reduce death and serious injury at treated sites by at least 30%.
For more information on the program, or to nominate a black spot, visit investment.infrastructure.gov.au/funding/blackspots.
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