safety barrier – Michmutters
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Site of fatal Walhalla road accident set for safety upgrades

The site of a fatal car accident in Victoria’s east, where a 4WD carrying four teenagers plunged over a cliff, is set to be widened and have safety barriers installed.

The crash in June this year on Walhalla Road just outside the historic town of Walhalla, claimed the life of a 19-year-old passenger.

There have been at least two similar accidents at the corner — one a fortnight later, while the other in 2017 prompted community calls for safety barriers at the time — to no avail.

Local Mayor Michael Leaney, who runs a hotel in the town, said the upgrade was something the local community and visitors to the historic town would “welcome wholeheartedly.”

“This has been a long process to get to where we are but we are pleased that we’ve been able to get the solution of having barriers installed at what is a dangerous corner on the Walhalla Road,” he said.

Tire marks show where the car left the road.
A 19-year-old man died when the car he was traveling in left the road and plunged over a cliff in June.(ABC Gippsland: Kerrin Thomas)

“We hope with the installation of these barriers, and the other safety measures that have been installed at this location, that we won’t see any further incidents at this place, and there won’t be any further fatalities or serious injuries.”

Barriers to be installed in coming months

The planned upgrades come after Regional Roads Victoria and Victoria Police visited the site last month to investigate how safety could be improved.

Walhalla 2017 crash
Locals lobbied for safety barriers to be installed after an accident in 2017, to no avail.(Supplied: Michael Leaney)

“New signage has been installed following a recent safety audit and we plan to widen the road and install safety barriers to further improve safety,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said.

The new signage includes advice to drivers to reduce their speed to 25 km/h. Road-side foliage has also been trimmed.

Specialized safety barriers will be needed to suit the narrow section of road, with work to install them expected to start in coming months, following completion of detailed planning and site assessments.

Line marking and road resurfacing is also on the list of jobs.

Walhalla town sign
The remote hamlet of Walhalla is a popular spot for tourists.(ABC Gippsland: Kerrin Thomas)

Mr Leaney hoped it would be completed quickly.

“We hope that this will happen before the busy summer season, although there have already been a number of improvements at this corner,” he said.

“There’s been big warning signs installed, there is some road treatments that are going in as well at the same location.

“Certainly, people are more aware of the dangers of this corner and adding a barrier will just finalize the matter and hopefully, will make it safe for locals and visitors alike.”

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