Action needed at Avenel intersection

Avenel residents are demanding the Victorian Government act on the safety of the intersection of the Hume Fwy and Jones St near the Avenel roadhouse.State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan said Avenel was one of the few towns bypassed by the freeway where no overpass had been built to enable motorists to safely access the freeway without crossing oncoming lanes of traffic.“The government has taken proactive steps in other locations along the Hume Fwy in Victoria to lower the speed limit to 80 km/h,” Ms Ryan said.“VicRoads has placed an 80 km/h speed limit at McKoy's Rd in Wodonga, as well as at Beveridge just outside Melbourne.”Ms Ryan said leaving Avenel to access the south-bound lane of the Hume Fwy or to cross to Tarcombe Rd was particularly dangerous because drivers needed to cross the north-bound lane of traffic.“In most other locations along the Hume Fwy, this has been resolved by building an overpass to ensure there is grade separation,” Ms Ryan said.“VicRoads cannot continue to ignore the safety issues at Avenel as the town's population grows."Avenel Action Group president Jeff Moran said a significant proportion of the Avenel community, including school children, now lived on the east side of the Hume Fwy and were required to cross it daily.“Avenel has one of the highest growth rates in Strathbogie Shire which further increases the local safety issues with the freeway,” he said.“There is also significant growth in the wine, cherry and intensive poultry industries on Upton and Tarcombe roads which creates increasing demand on the intersection.“As a community we are concerned the intersection, as it is currently designed, is inappropriate for a future Avenel and is not a safe arrangement for local traffic and people to access and leave Avenel safely.”