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Cambridge council backtracks on road upgrades

Laura PondWestern Suburbs Weekly

CAMBRIDGE Council has withdrawn funding applications for four potentially dangerous intersections.

A report by Town officers to the August 27 meeting recommended applying for State Government funding under the 2020-21 Black Spot program for road upgrades to the intersections of Oceanic Drive with Bold Park and Perry Lakes drives, and Crosby and Grantham streets in Floreat, and Kimberley Street and Lake Monger Drive in West Leederville.

The cost of the four projects was estimated at $300,000, of which the Town would have been required to fund a third.

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But council decided against the three Floreat projects because of concern trees would be removed and belief that the benefit cost ratios were too low.

It also withdrew the funding request for Lake Monger Drive and instead sought a report to the February 2020 council meeting on additional options, including extending the left hand lane turning onto the Mitchell Freeway northbound.

Mayor Keri Shannon suggested the potential lane extension after questioning whether the initial proposal for a protected right turn island and improved pedestrian crossing would reduce rear end crashes, which accounted for most of the 25 crashes reported in 2014-18.

A follow up report by the Town said the number of crashes at the site was nearly three times the area’s average and studies showed dedicated right turn pockets could reduce rear end crashes by 40 per cent.

It said freeway on-ramp projects were typically undertaken by Main Roads, which had already drafted a detail design for this but not committed to a timeframe.

But the Town could manage the project and may be eligible for future Black Spot funding, meaning it would need to cover a third of the costs.

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