QUEANBEYAN mayor Tim Overall has said Council will now focus on more upgrades to accident-prone local intersections following the official opening of a new round-a-bout at the intersection between Southbar and Donald Roads on Monday.
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He labelled the round-a-bout "a significant step forward" for road safety in Queanbeyan, but said other intersections with bad records for motor vehicle accidents would not become a focus in the coming months.
The Southbar and Donald Roads intersection had seen 10 car accidents over a five-year period prior to its upgrade, a record Cr Overall said was unacceptable, and it was believed its former three-way stop sign configuration was too confusing for motorists.
The mayor said similar traffic situations at the intersections of Surveyor Street and Ross Road, Cameron and Fergus Roads, and Morton Street and Crest Road, were now in Councils sights for upgrade proposals in the coming months.
"We're looking at improvements we can make to those intersections also, as well as the intersection at Richard Avenue and Morton Street which has been the subject of some recent accidents as well," Cr Overall said.
"We're still reviewing what treatments we might be able to put in place make them safer, and when funds permit, more extensive works will be taken."
The $833,000 dollar project was funded in part by Council and the NSW State Government, and member for Monaro John Barilaro said the round-a-bout had to be installed as Southbar Road would become a main thoroughfare for residents in the new Googong township.
"The traditional stop-signs don't allow for that flow of traffic," said Mr Barilaro.
"It will allow for increased traffic, and we knew with the numbers at Googong, this road would be a natural link between Old Cooma Road at Googong, and southbound towards the Monaro Highway.
"The state government saw the need [to fix the intersection], and we stepped in to fast track it."
Mr Barilaro said he had received "a lot of complaints" about the intersection in the past, among others in Queanbeyan, and said he would support Council in improving other Queanbeyan roads. The intersection was closed for works for three months but is now open to traffic again.