By KATH GANNAWAY
ONE million dollars will be put into improving safety on the Warburton Highway at Seville and Lilydale.
The funding, announced last week, came after a community campaign was launched to address the number of crashes and fatalities on the highway.
One of the worst stretches near Russell Road is included in the funding, which was announced last week by Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe.
The work will be done in two targeted projects with $730,000 going to improvements to the Leonard Road and Warburton Highway intersection in Lilydale and $244,000 to work on the highway around Russell Road in Seville.
Mrs Fyffe said the Seville works would help reduce the run-off-road incidents on the Warburton Highway corner near Russell Road, with eight such incidences having resulted in casualties including one fatality.
“The funding will be used to adjust the slope of the road around the corner and repaint the lines,” she said.
Work is scheduled to commence early next year and be completed by mid-year.
In Lilydale, a dedicated right turn from the highway into Leonard Road would be constructed and the driveway from the petrol station would be exit only with all entry into the station being from Leonard Road.
“There have been seven casualty crashes at the Leonard Road intersection over the past five years, four resulting in serious injuries,” Mrs Fyffe said.
The funding comes on top of a $3.2 million upgrade to the Warburton Highway in Launching Place announced in September.
Mrs Fyffe thanked all the community members who campaigned for the improvements.
