Improving Traffic Flow – Ministerial Response
Scroll down for the Minister’s response, or click here to discover more about how we’re working for Wendouree.
Original constituency question from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –
My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. How will the new roundabout that is under construction at Dyson Drive and Ballarat-Carngham Road improve traffic flow and make the intersection safer for my community?
Our government is keeping Ballarat moving by investing in intersection upgrades across my electorate. We have delivered traffic lights at Loreto College, making it safer for students as well as for runners, cyclists and drivers accessing Lake Wendouree and Victoria Park. At Gillies Street in Lake Gardens the new traffic lights have made it easier and safer to cross the Gregory Street intersection as well as improved access to the Wendouree train station. Further, Alfredton and Lucas residents now have an alternative route to the lake, gardens, shopping centres and sporting facilities in our north. The new traffic lights at the Delacombe town centre service the busy shopping and entertainment precinct as well as Winter Valley and Bonshaw, our important growing suburbs.
I look forward to the minister’s response.
Response from the Hon. Melissa Horne MP, Minister for Roads and Road Safety (3 June 2024) –
I thank the Member for Wendouree for her question and am pleased to advise the following regarding the new roundabout under construction at Dyson Drive and Ballarat-Carngham Road as part of the Keep Ballarat Moving program.
When considering the appropriate intersection type for new intersections such as this, the Department of Transport and Planning considers a range of factors including the expected type and amount of road users (i.e. cars, trucks, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), expected movement patterns of road users, land use surrounding the intersection, expected approaching traffic speeds and ultimate strategic need for the transport network.
In this instance, a roundabout is expected to minimise delays and future congestion, simplify the traffic movements at the intersection, slow the traffic speeds to a significantly safer speed for all road users and be consistent with other proposed intersections in Ballarat West.
A footpath will be constructed at the eastern side of the roundabout. When the roundabout is complete, pedestrians will be able to cross one lane of traffic at a time on Ballarat-Carngham Road, with traffic travelling at significantly lower speeds.
A roundabout will make turning movements into and out of Dyson Drive safer as traffic will flow through the intersection at a slower speed, particularly for right-turning vehicles on Ballarat-Carngham Road that currently must come to a complete stop when turning right.