THE deadly intersection which claimed the lives of four friends in May at Navarre has finally been given the upgrade residents of the small hamlet have long called for.
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Rumble strips have been installed on the Stawell-Avoca Road near the intersection with Ararat-St Arnaud Road, 35 kilometres north-east of Stawell.
Strips have been added on the Stawell-Avoca Road, 400 metres from the intersection, while extra signage has also recently been installed to alert drivers of the upcoming intersection which had long been a concern for nearby residents.
Elaine Middleton, Margaret Ely, Dianne Barr and Claudia Jackson, aged 64-75 from the south-west district, all died when a jeep allegedly t-boned their Kia at the intersection.
Stawell’s Lorraine Nicholson, 64, is to appear at a contested committal hearing in January where a magistrate will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case surrounding the cause of the crash to go to trial.
Navarre resident Michael Standfield, a former policeman, said at the time of the accident he and his wife Debborah had seen many cars fail to stop at the stop sign at the intersection, with many going straight through the corner before realising their mistake.
“You can just tell, a lot run straight through the intersection,” he said.
“For some reason, they miss it, there must be something wrong with the road.
“I see semi’s go through there, For some reason, that one is the problem. It needs ripple strips at least to slow people down.”
Western Regional Director, Regional Roads Victoria, Mal Kersting said that these new rumble strips will help drivers stay alert as they approach the intersection.
“Road safety is our top priority and we’ve delivered a better intersection for drivers travelling through Navarre,” Mr Kersting said.
“Combined with the extra signage we installed earlier this year, these rumble strips will enhance driver awareness and reduce the risk of crashes at this intersection.”
He said the strips were added along Stawell-Avoca Road at 400 metres from the intersection, with the curves of the road making it unsafe to place them any closer to the point where the two roads meet.
The intersection has been the site of two major crashes in the past five years with the four deaths this year and other serious injuries recorded. A number of other small crashes have also occurred.