UPDATE: Friday, 4.25pm:
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Urgent works will be carried out on a notorious stretch of the Cobden-Warrnambool Road.
A section between Rollos and Bartons roads has been reduced to a 40kmh limit after six accidents in 13 days.
The speed limit was announced on Thursday afternoon and on Friday, April 26, 2024, it was revealed, following expert assessments, crews would deliver evening asphalting works on Sunday, April 28, weather permitting.
Until those works are complete, the reduced 40kmh speed limit will remain in place.
Drivers are urged to stay within the reduced speed limit and drive to the conditions.
UPDATE, Friday, 7.10am:
The speed limit on a section of the Cobden-Warrnambool Road near the Rollos Road intersection at Naringal East has now been slashed to 40kmh.
That's after there were six accidents in 13 days in a 1500-metre stretch of the arterial route, just between Rollos and Bartons roads.
The speed limit was reduced to 80kmh after a fatal collision on Friday last week, April 19.
There have now been four trucks spear off the road in a 10-metre section, according to one neighbour.
The fatal collision happened about one kilometre away.
At least four police officers had contacted Regional Roads Victoria to take action before the fatal collision in which Warrnambool man, David "Dinga" Bell, was killed.
There have been repeated calls for action from local residents and Country Fire Authority members.
About 5pm on Thursday, April 25, the Department of Transport and Planning announced it had temporarily lowered the speed limit on the section to 40kmh due to "community concerns".
The department pointed out the fatal collision on the same road happened on a different section of Cobden-Warrnambool Road.
A Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson added comments to the speed reduction announcement.
"Any death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted," he said.
"We will provide Victoria Police with the information and support they need while they investigate the incident."
Earlier: Another truck accident at Naringal this week has prompted a neighbour to speak out in the hope something will finally be done about the "unsafe" Cobden Warrnambool Road.
Joe Tyers said he had been advocating for traffic to be forced back onto the Princes Highway rather than Google Maps taking them down the quicker back route.
With extra traffic on the road over the Anzac Day long weekend, Mr Tyers said he was concerned nothing would be done to make it safer over the four days.
"It's getting to a critical stage when something needs to be done," he said.
Mr Tyers said on Wednesday when he went out to get farm supplies he noticed the temporary 80kmh signs at the "slippery" section of road had been blown over. He notified Regional Roads Victoria.
He said they had been put back up, but then about 4.45pm the truck came to grief.
Mr Tyers said he had been advocating for something to be done about the road over the 17 years he has lived on the Cobden Warrnambool Road near Rollos Road.
"It's handling the greatest burden of traffic, more than the Princes Highway," he said.
"I've been an advocate to force the traffic back onto the Princes Highway.
"That's why I advocate for 80kmh from Allansford to Stoneyford and take away that advantage of 15 to 20 minutes trucks have for travelling on that road.
"It takes them 20 minutes longer to travel from Allansford to Stoneyford on the Princes Highway than going this back route. That's why they're doing it.
"Google Maps put them down there. It's the quickest route. That's why. Everybody uses Google Maps."
In the meantime, he said the temporary speed limit signs on the dangerous section needed to be lowered and cover a longer stretch of the road.
Mr Tyers said the behaviour of drivers was also a big problem.
"I can stand at my driveway and watch the signs and not every car brakes," he said.
"A lot of them don't even slow down."
Mr Tyers said he had never seen the road so shiny before.
He said that section of road had been redone about 18 months ago.
"They sprayed tar and put gravel on," Mr Tyers said.
Mr Tyers said he had called the Moyne Shire Council to see if they would also lobby for the road to be made safe.
