Damaged road barriers in East Gippsland are not being repaired in over 12 months.

Gippsland East Nationals’ MP, Tim Bull, said he has raised the lack of repairs with the Roads and Road Safety Minister in the last sitting week of Parliament before the mid-year break.

“Between Bairnsdale and Sale there are 170 centre of the road bull nose barriers and in around 10 cases they are severely damaged where vehicles have slammed into them. Some have been in disrepair for over 12 months,” Mr Bull told State Parliament.

“Similarly, six months ago a truck rollover occurred at the Lucknow roundabout and damaged the barriers significantly, and it too is not yet repaired.

“Given these are serious road safety issues and we have a rising road toll, I have asked the Minister why they have not been fixed in over a year and I have also asked for a timeline on the repair work being done.

“This has highlighted two things. The barriers are a major hazard given how many vehicles are crashing into them and the Department’s inability to repair them when damaged.

“Whenever I raise this concern about the increased level of accidents, I am told the barrier strike has potentially avoided a head on collision.

“However, the drivers I have spoken to say they didn’t have time to correct because the ripple strip beside the barrier is too close and they could have rectified the situation had it not been so cramped.

“There is no doubt the barriers have stopped some head on crashes, but the government has conceded they have not been installed to the current standards. The carriageway is ‘too tight’ and needs to be widened as it is in other areas with a wider centre median.”

Caption: Damaged roadside barriers have not been fixed after a year and local MP, Tim Bull, is seeking urgent action.

Monday, 10 July 2023