With the wet weather last week emergency services were once more at the scene of accidents on a notorious section of the Princes Highway west of Lakes Entrance.
Victoria Police are investigating two collisions in
Kalimna West.
It is understood a car crashed on Princes Highway about 11.20am on Wednesday,
July 2. Thankfully there were no injuries.
On the following day, July 3, Emergency services responded to a two-car collision on Princes Highway about 9.45am. The drivers of both vehicles were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The road was closed for some time following the incident. Investigations are ongoing into the circumstances of
the collision.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, with dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers or submit a confidential report online.
Motorists are justifiably questioning why these incidents keep happening on this stretch of road, particularly in wet weather.
Driving to suit the conditions is always a reason to slow down but many claim this particular stretch of the highway is essentially an accident waiting to happen.
The Department of Transport and Planning reported it is regularly inspecting roads and carried out emergency repairs as needed, while more extensive works such as road rebuilding and rehabilitation are generally delivered from September to May.
They stated that “in line with responsibilities under the Road Management Act (2004), we routinely inspect this stretch of road and perform maintenance as required”.
“We are planning for long term works along this stretch of the Princes Highway and we will keep the local community informed as we progress,” a Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said.
The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) manages more than 22,000 kilometres of road network which is inspected regularly to ensure compliance with the Road Management Act (2004) and the roads are maintained in accordance with the DTP Road Management Plan.
“Our crews are out every day inspecting the region’s roads to ensure they are safe for all road users,” they said.
Drivers along this stretch of road routinely see white paint around potholes etc but are calling for urgent action before another accident occurs.
