THE Department of Transport and Planning have made minor changes to their $1.3m Rutherglen Main Street pedestrian safety upgrades on the back of community feedback. According to the project’s state government website, the Department of Transport and Planning have updated planned changes to minimise the loss of on-street car parking. “After receiving feedback from the community regarding the project, we’ve made some minor changes to the planned improvements,” the department said. “There will be no on-street parking impacts on the Murray Valley Highway (Main Street) near the Murphy Street roundabout. “We will seek to use other measures to slow vehicles on this approach, including extending the 40km/h speed zone beyond the roundabout on the Murray Valley Highway and Chiltern-Rutherglen Road, and installing a speed cushion on the straight alignment approach to the roundabout from Chiltern-Rutherglen Road.” There have also been design changes to the installation of two kerb outstands near Bowling Green Lane. The kerb outstands will still be installed, but changes to the signs to be installed at the location will be made to reduce the need to remove additional car parking due to sightline considerations, according to the department. “The kerb outstands are a valuable measure in alerting motorists that they are entering a changed road environment with increased pedestrian activity,” the department said. Other safety improvements expected to come to the street will include new pedestrian-operated traffic lights between High Street and Murphy Street and a zebra crossing near Warrens Lane to improve pedestrian crossing near the newsagency and pharmacy. Speed bumps will also be installed on the approach to the new pedestrian-operated traffic lights and the zebra crossing to assist in slowing vehicles ahead of the crossing points. Zebra crossings and raised safety platforms will also be installed across High Street on both the northbound and southbound approaches to Main Street to slow vehicles accessing the intersection and provide a safer crossing location for pedestrians. Three on-street car parking spaces will be removed to allow the installation of safety infrastructure and improve visibility for pedestrians. The state government announced the $1.3m investment for the street last year after two major incidents including a truck crash and a pedestrian collision which killed a 77-year-old woman occurred on Main Street, re-igniting calls for urgent action to improve safety or a bypass to be implemented. The exact timing for the expected works is due to be confirmed later this month. A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said safer infrastructure on roads were being delivered right across the state. “People moving around Rutherglen’s town centre will soon have safer and easier journeys,” they said.
