Northbound trucks will perform U-turns on the Hume Freeway to enter and exit McKoy Street, West Wodonga.
Roadworks near Wodonga – where McKoy Street and Old Barnawartha Road meet the Hume Freeway – are expected to be completed later this month. So truck drivers will soon have the opportunity to pass judgement on the work.
Will the notorious blackspot be safer and easier for turning trucks to negotiate? Or will it be the ‘dogs breakfast’ that local politician Bill Tilley MLA has predicted?
Trucks use the busy intersection to access businesses in McKoy Street, West Wodonga, including Visy Board, Twin City Trucks Centre, CMV Truck & Bus, Cummins, and North East Forklift Services.
After a string of accidents near the intersection, the speed limit on a 1km section of the Hume Freeway was lowered to 80km/h between 7am and 7pm from March 2015.
And more recently Hume Freeway traffic has slowed for roadwork speed restrictions in this area.
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From the north-bound lane, trucks will perform a U-turn on the Hume Freeway and then turn left onto McKoy Street. To continue north from McKoy Street, trucks will turn left onto the freeway and then perform a U-turn.
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The work is being funded by United Petroleum which is building a petrol station near the intersection. VicRoads has also spent about $40,000 on modifications to improve safety.
Explaining the history of the intersection, a VicRoads spokesperson says VicRoads objected to United Petroleum’s application to build a service station on McKoy Street, near the Hume Freeway.
“The permit was later upheld by VCAT with conditions placed on the developer to upgrade the intersection of the Hume Freeway and McKoy Street,” the spokesperson says. “VicRoads was involved in reviewing and approving the new intersection design, which was found to meet relevant standards.”
The spokesperson explains how the intersection will work: “Once the intersection is completed, vehicles intending to go across or turn right on to the Hume Freeway, will be required to first turn left and then perform a U-turn a short distance from the original crossing point.
“The new wide median intersection will allow all traffic, including trucks, to queue within the turning lanes, and not congest the through lanes of traffic.”
VicRoads is currently considering whether the 80km/h speed limit will be for 12 or 24 hours each day when the roadwork is completed. This speed review was prompted by feedback from the freight industry and McKoy Street businesses.
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Bill Tilley MLA describes the intersection upgrade as a “dog’s breakfast”. Photo by Tracey Holmes.
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‘DOG’S BREAKFAST’
Member for Benambra, Bill Tilley, believes the intersection upgrade will not make the blackspot any safer. “So what we now see is a dog’s breakfast of a design that gives cars, trucks and B-doubles about 50 metres to pull out from a standing start and get across two lanes of traffic into yet another turning lane.”
He says his concern is shared by local business people who estimate about 200 B-doubles turn at the intersection daily.
“Civil engineers tell me this is no safer. There has been zero consultation and it condemns this stretch of the Hume Freeway to 80km/h forever.
“It’s part of the main route between Sydney and Melbourne that sees about 30,000 cars and trucks pass this spot every day, including 7,500 heavy vehicles.”
Tilley, who holds a seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, believes all three tiers of government have a responsibility to find a solution.
“Clearly VicRoads also needs to take some responsibility here, if not for signing off on the design, then in allowing this to fester out of view before being thrown into the spotlight less than a week before work started.” He says local businesses were informed only five days before work began.
“And frankly this is a national highway, the responsibility of the Federal Government, and so I don’t accept that they don’t have a role to play in this.” He believes the best solution is a flyover. “And it would be prudent if it was included as part of the $10 billion Federal Government inland rail project.”
LOCAL FEARS
Chris Dziedzic is dealer principal at Twin City Trucks Centre which is located in McKoy Street. He says the upgraded intersection is “a disaster waiting to happen”.
“We’ve been very actively telling them it’s wrong from day one. It’s going to be unsafe. Somebody is going to get killed.”
Dziedzic says the new design is similar to what exists on the Hume Freeway near the Avenel Roadhouse. However, he believes the number of trucks using the Wodonga intersection will be much greater, making it more dangerous than Avenel.
He fears the danger will increase when the new Wodonga service station opens. “I can see Ma and Pa coming with their caravan at Christmas time, trying to get across the highway. Going slow. Being careful. They’re going to get collected.
“The only solution is an overpass. Do it properly. It’s a national highway.”
Owner//Driver has invited United Petroleum to respond.