Pressure on to make troubled Forrest Highway intersection safer

A regional community is putting pressure on Main Roads to improve a difficult-to-navigate intersection crossing through the Forrest Highway.

The Lake Clifton-Herron Residents Association has reached out to Main Roads pleading for a safer intersection from Lake Clifton Road to Dorsett Road through the Forrest Highway.

The regional road is frequented by trucks visiting the nearby quarry and with poor sight lines and no acceleration lane, residents worry it is only a matter of time before there is a serious accident.

LCHRA president Jenny Rose said approaching the intersection from Lake Clifton Road to head north was troublesome with drivers struggling to see oncoming traffic and then match the sudden lurch to 110km/h speed limit on the highway.

She said the road was “inconsistent” when compared to other intersections along the freeway and created an ongoing sense of “nervousness” for approaching drivers.

Ms Rose said since the bypass around Lake Clifton was opened in 2016 the community had seen a gradual increase in drivers using the road to access the freeway with the intersection no longer equipped to deal with the increase in traffic.

RAC manager of external relations Will Golsby said they had also been engaging with Main Roads and the LCHRA about the concerns.

“The Forrest Highway intersection with Lake Clifton Road and Dorsett Road is a complex intersection with multiple entry and exit points, heavy vehicle use, and visibility issues,” Mr Golsby said.

“Any upgrades to roads and intersections should be informed by a detailed and formal review of the area, which considers both crash risk and crash history.”

A Main Roads spokesperson said they were currently reviewing the intersection.

“The review will consider the existing intersection layout, current and future traffic movements, rationalisation of the access points on to Forrest Highway, the speed environment, lighting, signage and line marking,” the spokesperson said.

Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said the council would support changes.

“The shire has discussed the intersection with Main Roads WA and we support them verifying whether the intersections are dangerous or not, and coming up with a solution if they are,” he said.

Cr Walmsley said crash data from Main Roads showed the intersection had not seen a significant crash in the past five years, and said road improvements decisions should be evidence-based with funds going to the areas most needed.

According to the data, he said the intersection was ranked 2183 worst in the State, though he conceded the data did not include near misses.

“We support anything the LCHRA is doing towards road safety, and if they feel that improved lighting and rumble strips will improve safety, it can only be a benefit,” Cr Walmsley said.

A review of the nearby ablution facilities was also being conducted, the Main Roads spokesperson also told the Reporter.

“These will also be reviewed with consideration given to the cost of replacement, ongoing maintenance and the location of facilities at the nearby service centre,” they said.

“In the interim, Main Roads will be relocating some of the existing infrastructure, to improve sight lines for vehicles exiting the western rest area.”

Cr Walmsley did not support closing the facilities, however.

“It’s a very well-utilised parking area, people even stay there overnight — whether that’s right or wrong, I’d rather have someone sleeping on the edge of the road there than trying to drive fatigued and causing themselves all sorts of grief,” he said.

“That’s encouraging road safety in its own way. We’re supplying an area for if you feel like you need to pull over and have a sleep, please do, and there’s amenities there to complement that.

“(Main Roads) haven’t made a final decision, but they have intimated that those toilets are reaching the end of their life, and they’ll be demolished, and I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

Ms Rose said the LCHRA were also against the potential closure.

“A lot of people don’t want to stop at a big service station, and it is nice stopping here,” she said.

“They just need to improve the sight lines, and the biggest thing would be making the highway 80km/h and adding rumble strips to remind people that it’s 80.

“That would make such a difference for something very simple.”