
It's a real safety concern for us
- Principal Jo Roche
Warrnambool City Council says it intends to lower the speed limit out the front of the Merri River School after concerns were raised again about the traffic dangers.
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Principal Jo Roche said there had been a number of instances where children had been walking down Wollaston Road unsafely when cars were going by fast, and there was no footpath yet installed outside the school.
"It's a real safety concern for us," she said.
"It's very dangerous coming in. Cars get banked up.
"Kids walk out up the road to get home and it can be very dangerous.
"Kids when they are loading buses can also run out."
The school has been waiting more than two years for the signs to be erected after moving to the new site in January 2020 from the former Special Development School in Hyland Street.
The council said once the road was upgraded it would include pedestrian linkages which would assist with the approval of a lowered speed zone, but gave no date for the works to happen.
"Council staff are working with Regional Roads Victoria on the speed zone around the school with the intention of having it lowered as per a school zone," it said.
The council said the design for the Wollaston Road upgrade was well advanced.
"Preliminary drafts have been shared with the federal government, which may provide funding towards the delivery of the work," it said.
The funding of the road is also included in the developer contributions plan for the North of the Merri developments, which means that some funding for the upgrade would come from developer contributions, council said.
A number of major housing developments are on the drawing board for the stretch of road including a $100 million country club and retirement village with a golf course next door to the school.
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Katrina Lovell
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.
Katrina Lovell is a senior journalist at The Standard who covers council news and human interest stories.