A THREE-car pile-up on Phillip Island Road last Saturday, August 16, at its intersection with Punch Bowl Road east of San Remo, has again highlighted access problems, getting on and off the island, and the dangers that exist at intersections in and around San Remo.
In an incident which occurred at about 1pm on Saturday, believed to have involved a car waiting to turn right into Punch Bowl Road, and two other cars, the drivers and passengers of two of the cars escaped uninjured.
But the driver of a late model Toyota Camry, which was shunted from behind, sustained non-life-threatening head injuries from his airbag when his head struck the side interior of his car.
He was transferred to hospital by ambulance.
The road was closed in both directions for the best part of one and a half hours, with traffic banked up to the San Remo Bridge and beyond, well out past the merge with the Bass Highway and on the Wonthaggi slip road, back to the Anderson roundabout.
Drivers and passengers waited patiently in the traffic jam while police, ambulance, SES, fire brigades from San Remo, Cowes and Kilcunda and tow truck drivers cleared the scene of cars and debris.
But a number expressed their frustrations at the lack of alternative access, additional passing lanes and turning lanes for drivers trying to get on and off Phillip Island Road.
“The most important thing is that there wasn’t a fatality but serious accidents on this road are a regular occurrence and when it’s one way in and one way out, there’s no where to go. Traffic to the island is increasing year on year,” said one of those caught in the traffic snarl.
The Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, who was visiting the area on Saturday said she heard about the accident and traffic delays, saying improvements to Phillip Island Road at San Remo were one of the highest priorities for the ‘One Gippsland’ group of six local government councils.
“The volume of traffic on that road is ever increasing and the government needs to keep pace with necessary safety improvements including intersection improvements and passing lanes,” said Ms Bath.
She has called for a review of access problems for Phillip Island and San Remo, especially those involving Phillip Island Road.
Chair of One Gippsland, Cr Nathan Hersey of the South Gippsland Shire Council, said recently that “the visitor economy is key to diversifying Gippsland’s future economic base and creating new jobs” while highlighting priority road projects in the region.
“We are also working with our government partners to secure investment in our priority projects including the San Remo Road Upgrade, stage two of the Leongatha Heavy Vehicle Alternate Route, Sale’s Alternate Truck Route and the Traralgon Bypass. These projects are essential for improving safety, efficiency and regional connectivity for all road users,” Cr Hersey said.
The Bass Coast Shire Council also adopted ‘San Remo intersection works’ as one of its high priorities for advocacy to the State Government, pitching for $26 million for traffic lights to be installed on the Back Beach Road access into the township of San Remo.
But that’s just for starters.
“Access to San Remo township is significantly impacted by the lack of gaps available in traffic along Phillip Island Road due to the ever-increasing visitors and associated continuous streams of vehicular traffic along Phillip Island Road, the only route to Phillip Island,” said the shire.
“There will continue to be an increase of risk taking and consequential vehicle crashes and serious injuries if no action is taken to improve the intersection access to San Remo from Phillip Island Road.”
Transport Victoria, which has responsibility for Phillip Island Road has been asked for comment.