By Tyler Wright
Macclesfield residents are calling on two local councils to take action to repair a significantly damaged section of road posing a significant safety risk for motorists.
The intersection of Kennedy and Merretts Road sits on the border of Yarra Ranges Council and Cardinia Shire Council areas; is the beginning of a two-lane dirt road.
Local Ann Felgate said the condition of the intersection makes it difficult for vehicles to enter Merretts Road.
“The intersection is extremely dangerous. I’ve wrecked a tire. Other people people have damaged their car… it’s carrying traffic that’s supposed to go two ways because it’s a dead end street, but it’s not wide enough to take two cars,” Ms Felgate said.
“One or the other car has to back up…and that’s because you can’t get off the road because the drainage on the side of the road is now at least two foot deep, so if you drop your wheel down there, you’ve got to get a tow truck to get you out.
“The only way we can get in and out is through this corner…there are nine houses past me [on Jardine Road]… but the council over the last 40 years allowed subdivision and allowed people to come and build, but they’ve done nothing about the infrastructure to go with it,” Ms Felgate said.
Since late 2022, the condition of the intersection has further deteriorated, according to Ms Felgate, with a spring breaking open within the road increasing the size of an existing hazardous hole.
“Now it’s got to the point, with all the weather over the winter months, that it’s subsided into the never never and now there’s a dirty great big ditch there,” she said.
“They came along… they dug up that section and they filled it full of crushed rock. They pulled the bitumen out and they put the crushed rock in there, and at that stage, they dumped the two loads of crush rock on the side of the road,” Ms Felgate said.
“There’s just signs there…and now the crushed rock is washing away.”
In July 2020, Ms Felgate sent a letter to Yarra Ranges Council with signatures from neighbouring residents to call for the infrastructure team review the conditions on Merretts Road, taking into considering the widening of the dirt roads, appropriate signage to indicate to drivers that the road is a shared zone with children, riders and walkers as well as a speed limit restriction signs indicating a speed limit no greater than 40kph.
Ms Felgate said council staff visited the site a short time after the letter was sent and placed signage on the road.
“Another issue is unknown people. As residents, we all know what the bloody state of the road is, and if I want to go out in my mobile, what I do is I text all my neighbours to say ‘I’m leaving here at 12:00pm to get the mobile out, so let me know if you’re coming in at that time, or give me five minutes to get out.
“I don’t want a three lane highway. I understand that there are lots and lots of priorities. I just don’t want anybody to end up getting hurt. ”
Both Yarra Ranges Council and Cardinia Shire Council told the Star Mail they are aware of the road surface issue at the intersection of Kennedy and Merretts Road, with Yarra Ranges Council responsible for the intersection and Cardinia Shire Council responsible for works further down on Kennedy Road.
“Heavy rainfall throughout last year has resulted in significant damage to the road pavement and structure. Both Cardinia Shire Council and Yarra Ranges Council have been working together to resolve the issue,” a Cardinia Shire Council spokesperson told the Star Mail.
According to the spokesperson, Cardinia Shire Council actioned initial repair works on Kennedy Road on 10 January, which were due to commence the week beginning Monday 16 January.
However the full rectification works were postponed because of wet weather.
“Council expects to begin the full rectification works on Kennedy Road next week,” they said.
“While road surface repair works are underway, Council encourages motorists to approach and use the intersection with caution.”
Yarra Ranges Council’s Acting Director of Environment and Infrastructure, Phil Murton, said staff have been “monitoring the deterioration of the road surface, while designing works to address the issue”.
“Earlier this week, we received a quote from a contractor and have awarded them a contract for the repair works. These works will be underway within the next fortnight,” Mr Murton said.
“In the meantime, the road surface is safe to drive with caution. We will continue monitoring the surface of the road, and will investigate closure of the intersection – with detours in place – if it continues to deteriorate further.
“We’d like to thank Cardinia Council for actioning works on Kennedy Road, which falls inside their municipality, and we look forward to completing these road repairs as soon as possible.”
