Guardrails to prevent next tragedy

A guardrail will be installed along Paternoster Road in Emerald to prevent further loss of control and head-on crashes. Pictured is La Trobe MP Jason Wood at Paternoster Road in Emerald.

By Jessica Anstice

A guardrail will be installed along Paternoster Road in Emerald to prevent further loss of control and head-on crashes.

After several serious car accidents along the Emerald road, Cardinia Shire Council identified it as a high priority for road safety improvements.

The council was successful in obtaining $364,000 in funding for this project under the Federal Blackspot program.

About one kilometre of VicRoads approved guardrail will be installed in various sections along Paternoster Road, between Bailey Road and Beaconsfield-Emerald Road.

The major Cardinia Council road, which links Emerald and Mount Burnett, sees an average of more than 5000 vehicles per day and has a long history of serious collisions.

Further to the east the road flattens, but still curves along the hilltop, which is lined with large trees within the clear zone limiting sight-lines around bends, where a number of other crashes have occurred.

In the five year period for when the grant application was assessed, five casualty crashes were recorded.