REGARDING some rural road observations from a road user.
Two examples going off the Quambatook road to east.
1. Quarry Road is a sound-based all-weather road that requires grading regularly at present. It is so badly corrugated that people are avoiding travelling on it because of it damaging vehicles, machinery and themselves.
Solution: Grade it more regularly, put 60km/h signs to indicate that if traffic is going slower, the road condition might last a lot better. Give that a go and see what happens.
2. Fox Road, north of Quarry. Not every all-weather road gets damaged regularly after it rains. With traffic trying to use it because the Quarry Road is too rough, any good work done will be wrecked each time a significant rain event happens.
Solution: Sign it “dry weather only”, also with 60km/h signs to slow people down. Same thing, give that a go to see what happens.
As a ratepayer and road user, the above scenario is replicated everywhere and has been forever.
The all-weather roads get minimal maintenance and no signage to indicate strategies to help make them last better.
The dry weather only roads get no signage to indicate what use is suitable for them relative to the weather and get wrecked each time a significant rain event happens.
The road sign posts are there. A dry weather only sign and a speed sign should not cost much in relation to grading unsigned roads that are not suitable for wet weather use.
If we keep doing the same thing, the same way, we will get the same result. It’s overdue to try doing what is simple and slightly different. Give it a go. A sign to advise an all-weather road, distance and direction to it would also help.
If the suggestion works, do more of it.
Owen Fox
Murrawee
