Wire Rope Barriers A Hurdle For Sanity And Safety
The Victorian Minister for Roads has been asked in State Parliament when he will abandon the installation of wire rope barriers on Victoria’s regional roads.
The Liberal Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, has told the Parliament that the Fyansford-Gheringhap Road is symbolic of others across Victoria now impacted by the barriers.
“These particular wire rope barriers have been hit at least seven times since their very recent installation,” Mrs McArthur said.
“As we head into harvest season, large machinery and vehicles will inevitably continue to hit these barriers on this narrow country road.
“Will we only do something when a life is lost?” she asked the Minister, Ben Carroll.
Users of the road have written to Mrs McArthur on multiple occasions complaining about the negative impact of the rope barriers.
Their descriptions include tyre punctures from the ‘wire clips that fly out’ from the barriers when they are hit, and trucks that have gone off the road due to the collapsing road edges because the central barrier has narrowed each side of the road.
Rescue vehicles are also forced to travel excessive distances before a break in the wire rope enables access to an incident on the other side of the barrier.
One farmer wrote: “I cannot believe how irate people get when they have to follow me in the tractor at 18kmh”.
Mrs McArthur referred to a recent Queensland accident in which a four-wheel drive hit wire rope barriers, tragically killing two children.
“These barriers cost lives, stifle agricultural enterprise and have cost the Victorian taxpayer half a billion dollars and counting.
“I want to know when this Government will abandon its obsession with wire rope barriers.
“It must stop installing them on Western Victorian roads where they are clearly not fit for purpose and are dangerous.”
25 November 2020