School crossing upgrade plan

By Rebecca Fraser
ONE of Casey’s most dangerous school crossing zones looks set to receive new safety measures in a bid to reduce the number of “near misses” at the busy intersection.
The dual school crossing at Heatherton Road Endeavour Hills, east of James Cook Drive, has been added to a list of three other priority sites in need of pedestrian operated signals in Casey.
The location has been dubbed the fourth priority site by council, and will be completed after new signals are installed on the South Gippsland Highway at Cranbourne; at the rail crossing in High Street, Berwick, on the Peel Street-Melville Park Drive intersection; and in Webb Street, Narre Warren, between Rebound and Malcolm courts.
Council moved at their last meeting of 2005 to refer a total of $400,000 from the 2006/07 Capital Works Program for the above sites with $160,000 required for the Heatherton Road project.
A council report states that the Endeavour Hills site is currently the school crossing with the greatest safety issues in the entire municipality and there are regular near misses at the location.
The report also said that the crossings’ conversion to a pedestrian-operated signal would be a significant improvement in safety.
The move also follows a recent serious collision near the dual-crossing that left a 44-year-old learner driver trapped in her car after she lost control and hit a children’s crossing point and a large tree before the car rolled on Heatherton Road.
The woman received treatment at The Alfred Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
Locations are based on traffic and pedestrian volume, pedestrian accident history, the speed zone and special needs such as disability and elderly access.
Council concluded that South Gippsland Highway, High Street, Webb Street and Heatherton Road were appropriate locations for funding of pedestrian crossing facilities in the next two years.
The funding allocation for the Endeavour Hills project came about after money, originally designated for pedestrian operated signals on the Cranbourne-Frankston Road at the Amstel corner, was no longer required.
This was because the Amstel site is within the section of Sladen Street to be duplicated under the recently announced State Arterial Roads program.
The council report said officers held off committing to the pedestrian operated signal project in Cranbourne until the scope of the duplication works had been confirmed.
Council now understands the VicRoads works will include intersection signals, incorporating pedestrian crossings, at the location of the Amstel/St Peters College access.
Council moved that the $110,000 from the Amstel corner site be relocated to the 2006/07 pedestrian crossing program so the Heatherton Road site could be placed on the priority listing.