By Jessica Anstice
Beaconsfield residents have increasing concerns about their safety on Kenilworth Avenue as more and more vehicles are using the road causing it to quickly deteriorate.
Residents beg to differ with a road sign that reads ‘local traffic only’ on Kenilworth Avenue near the Brunt Road entrance.
One resident has taken on the initiative to conduct a traffic survey.
Laurie Tucker recorded 266 vehicles exiting Kenilworth Avenue between 4.35pm and 7.05pm on Tuesday 26 February.
“There were 1.77 vehicles every minute. This is extrapolates to thousands of vehicles using this road every day,” Mr Tucker said.
“Included in this total were trucks and two Ventura buses, showing that this road is not just a ‘rat-run’ for local cars but a major thoroughfare.”
“Every single neighbour I speak with is downright sick and tired of it and the Cardinia Council’s apparent lack of action.”
The road is often described as ‘problematic’ by residents living on surrounding properties.
“There’s dust in summer, it’s a mud slide in winter and it’s constantly full of potholes and corrugation,” resident Stacey Kennedy said.
“Well over a year ago now they started to build the road. They made it narrower, curbed it and put drains in.”
Works were brought to a standstill by a cash-related rift between the contractor and developer.
“We understand this road is in dispute with developers but frankly that just does not hold water, surely the council needs to step up for their rate payers,” Ms Kennedy said.
“The road crew also dug up all the nature strips and left pipes all over protruding from the ground. These pipes are still there today.
“As council continued to grade the road after roadworks ceased midway through, they dug up all the sharp rocks. We residents had many punctured tyres, cracked windscreens plus more serious issues due to pot holes.”
Council has placed road work 40km/h signs along the road as well as the ‘local traffic only’ sign.
“They haven’t put proper 40km/h signs up and everyone ignores them anyway. It is not enforced,” Ms Kennedy said.
“It is used more as a main short cut road now. A myriad of buses use it every day. Massive earth moving trucks frequent it as the develop more of the surrounding land.
“It’s even more dangerous because of the dust, reducing visibility. You really need to do 80km/h to not feel the corrugation which is why I feel people keep speeding.”
Many fear health issues relating to the amount of airborne dust.
“There’s no point even washing your car,” resident Carly Moreton said.
“A lady on Kenilworth Avenue sold her house because of the dust. Her child was breathing it in. She used to always be out the front of her house hosing the road with her own water.
“There are not many dirt roads in the area. That one seems to be a very significant road but nobody seems to want to do anything about it.”
