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Mp Warns Of Highway Speed Limit Changes

Gippsland MP Peter Hall has issued a warning to local people to beware of an unadvertised change to speed limits on the Princes Highway.

By Peter Hall - 16th September 2004 - Back to News

Mr Hall said he had only just become aware that the speed limit from east of Pakenham right through to the Longwarry turnoff, a distance of about 30 kilometres, will drop from 110 kph to 100 kph.

The change is due to take place from today (Thursday 16 September).

Mr Hall said he was disappointed by the lack of forewarning of the change and believes it is one of the consequences of the lack of State Government action on the Pakenham by-pass.

The Nationals MP raised the matter in Parliament this week, during debate on funding for the Mitcham-Frankston Freeway – the infamous tollway that the State Government promised would never happen – and road funding in general.

"I have not heard anything about this proposal to reduce the speed limit on one of our main highways from 110 kilometres an hour presumably back to 100 kilometres an hour," Mr Hall told Parliament.

"The (current) 110-kilometre-an-hour limit extends for a distance of almost 30 kilometres along the highway, from the eastern side of Pakenham right through to Sands Road, which is the Longwarry turnoff.

"For many years, Princes Highway East has had a speed limit of 110 kilometres from Pakenham with only one speed reduction, which is at the Nar Nar Goon turnoff, to 90 kilometres.

"If we were going to have speed reductions, there should have been consultation in the first instance, but to my knowledge there was none. There should have been a far stronger campaign to alert people to the speed reductions rather than just putting on the road a trailer with flashing signs."

Mr Hall said he agreed there was a need for speed reductions and roadworks at the dangerous intersections, including the Longwarry turnoff and the Nar Nar Goon intersection.

He added however: "The first of those dangerous intersections, the one at Nar Nar Goon, would not be a problem if the Pakenham bypass were completed, because it would take that intersection completely out of the major highway route.

Mr Hall said that with the Federal Coalition’s announcement yesterday to provide $121 million in Federal funding there is now no excuse for the State Government not to get on with the job.

Mr Hall also lambasted the State Government for knocking back a $565 million gift from the Federal Government for the construction of the Scoresby Freeway.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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