An incident involving a truck at the Diggers Rest railway crossing last Friday morning has sparked renewed calls for planned safety works to be undertaken.
According to Melton City Council, “when the existing railway station upgrade occurred Council sought for the State Government project team to look at improving the pedestrian connectivity adjacent the railway station at this location. However such works were not within the scope of the railway project. It should be noted to date the intersection has operated safely for both pedestrians and vehicles however the LATM (Local Area Traffic Management) study further investigated the intersection and proposed two options being and ‘interim’ and ‘ultimate’ treatment to further improve all safety aspects as traffic volumes increase”.
The LATM report concluded that modifications are required to improve the safety and functionality of the Welcome Road and Diggers Rest – Coimadai Road intersection, especially given its close proximity to the railway crossing.
Interim treatment involves the removal of right turn traffic into Welcome Road therefore restricting vehicles from queuing back onto the railway crossing which has been identified as a significant safety concern. It’s expected that this will also improve pedestrian access with one less traffic movement for pedestrians to negotiate when crossing the road.
Following the interim treatment, Council will continue to monitor traffic as part of its monitoring program. This treatment may provide an effective solution and may not trigger the ultimate treatment, which is the permanent closure of Welcome Road.
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