The Andrews government will build public safety barriers on one of Melbourne’s deadliest bridges next year.
Transport Minister Luke Donnellan will announce on Tuesday that the state government will upgrade the bridge, which Fairfax Media has decided not to identify.
Temporary barriers will be installed when work begins to widen and strengthen the bridge halfway through next year. The barriers will later be replaced by permanent barriers as work on the bridge continues, Mr Donnellan’s spokeswoman said.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson recommended in April that permanent safety barriers be built on the bridge, which has been identified as a suicide risk for at least three years.
The Coroners Prevention Unit called the bridge a “suicide hot-spot”, with 13 suicides from that location in almost 20 years.
Neither VicRoads, nor the state and federal governments had committed to funding even temporary barriers, while the future of the federal infrastructure money for road upgrades was under a cloud. The money had been redirected to the failed East West Link, the court heard.
Now the state government has set aside $150 million for the bridge upgrade in the state budget. It will look for expressions of interest in August and expects to award a contract early next year.
Member for Sydenham, Natalie Hutchins, said that the community had campaigned for the barriers: “More than 330 people were hurt and four people died driving on the (road) in a five year period. That’s not good enough. We’re making this upgrade to make this road safer.”
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This story first appeared in The Age
