Bad breaks on bend

By CASEY NEILL
BELGRAVE-HALLAM Road’s notorious Belgrave South bend is continuing to bring drivers unstuck and there’s still no solution in sight.
VicRoads south east metro director Peter Todd said the road authority was “continuing investigations to determine potential solutions to improve safety”.
“Detailed survey works have recently been completed which will assist in assessing the road camber and any drainage issues at this location,” he said.
Phil Garland lives near the bend, which is between the two Colby Drive intersections, and contacted the Mail about “yet another accident in the usual place”.
A car ended up on its roof in the gutter about 3.30pm on Sunday 17 June.
“The road was just a little wet,” Mr Garland said.
“When I spoke to a firey he said that the last three he had been to had turned over.
“The accidents seem to be becoming more frequent and it’s almost always when the road is wet.”
VicRoads installed ‘slippery when wet’ signs in January but they’ve failed to curb the steady stream of accidents.
Locals say changing the road’s camber is the only way to fix the problem.
The Mail first reported the issue just over a year ago following contact from a very concerned Simon Crosbie, who lives 200 metres from the bend. He sees accidents there every week – sometimes two or three.
In December VicRoads vowed to investigate possible safety improvements after local police echoed residents’ fears and called on VicRoads to act following a collision involving a police car in November.
In March three cars careered off the road within 50 metres of each other in less than 24 hours. Another three cars were involved in two accidents just days later.
“For a major thoroughfare it’s just not acceptable,” Mr Crosbie said.
“A lot of the accidents, people are travelling at the right speed.
“It’s not speed, it’s the actual shape of the road.”
Belgrave Sergeant Mick Hall said he wasn’t sure what the answer was, but urged drivers to slow down on the bend.
“I think it’s deceiving,” he said.
“It looks like a big open sweeper, but it keeps going and tightens up.”