Motorists will have to wipe off 10 on Healesville-Kooweerup Road, after the speed limit was dropped to 90km/h. 37795 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Melissa Grant
THE speed limit on Healesville-Kooweerup Road has been reduced from 100km/h to 90km/h.
New speed limit warning signs were last week installed along the 10.5km section of road, between Greenhills Road, Pakenham and the Kooweerup township.
The road’s limit has been a point of contention between police, MPs and residents who have mixed feelings about what speed is appropriate.
The speed limit was dropped by 10km/h following requests from Cardinia’s top traffic cop Sergeant Nigel Atkins.
Sergeant Atkins had previously written to the road authority requesting the limit to be dropped to 80km/h, amid concerns about the road surface and an escalating number of crashes.
He welcomed the new 90km/h limit, however Bass MP Ken Smith last week said it should have been dropped further to 80km/h.
But in a letter to the Gazette Ian Williams from Kooweerup disagreed, saying the speed limit should have remained at 100km/h.
Mr Williams said “nobody was forcing” Mr Smith and Sgt Atkins to drive at more than 80km/h.
“In my opinion, if you can’t drive from Kooweerup to Pakenham at 100 km/h, weather and traffic conditions permitting, you should hand your licence in,” he said.
“I would like to see the criteria used by (Roads Minister) Tim Pallas and VicRoads to change the limit from 100km/h. You won’t find a flatter section of road with long straight sections and large sweeping bends, all with great visibility.”
Police have recorded 11 smashes on Healesville-Kooweerup Road this year.
