Safety first for Potter Street

POTTER Street in Dandenong will receive a $756,000 safety boost.
South Eastern Metropolitan Region MP Gordon Rich-Phillips announced the State Government Safer Road Infrastructure Program (SRIP) funding for the street’s intersection with Princes Highway East.
“The project is aimed at reducing the number of accidents at the site by banning the right-turn movement from Potter Street to Princes Highway East,” he said.
“Of the eight crashes we have seen at or near this intersection in the five years to December 2013, five crashes involved cars turning right from Potter Street and cars travelling on Princes Highway East.
“Two of those resulted in serious injuries.”
On the Dandenong Journal Facebook page, Brad Woodford said it was a “fantastic decision”.
“To be frank, it’s not the right turn itself that is the problem, but the sheer lack of competence of the drivers trying to execute them,” he said.
“So it’s best for everybody’s safety to simply ban them.”
The ban would include installing signs, pavement markings, traffic islands and modifications to the intersection’s layout.
A short-turn lane along Potter Street will also be provided to ease traffic into the service station and to avoid vehicles queuing onto Princes Highway East.
Work on the project will start late this year and is due for completion early next year.
Do you think the project will improve safety? Email journal@starnewsgroup.com.au or visit www.facebook.com/DandenongJournal.