A skid-resistant road surface, lower traffic speeds and new traffic islands will be installed if the City of Launceston’s funding request is granted by the federal government.
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At the City of Launceston’s ordinary meeting on Monday, aldermen unanimously endorsed a submission to the Australian government's 2018/19 Black Spot program.
Two projects with a combined cost of $180,000 were proposed in a report authored by the council’s engineering officer Nigel Coates.
At Newnham, it was proposed traffic islands be installed at Alanvale Road and Snow Street, Mallard Place and Franmaree Road – and the speed limit be reduced to 50km/h.
The council identified Alanvale Road as the collector road for the expanding Newnham housing area.
In the past five years, seven crashes have resulted in injuries, with one serious, five minor and one first aid.
“There is a consistent crash record involving north-bound right turns into side roads across the path of oncoming vehicles,” the report read.
The council called for $30,000 from the Black Spot program for the works.
Improving grip on the winding, semi-rural Henry Street at Ravenswood was the second project submitted for $150,000 in funding.
The number of crashes causing injuries has increased from an average of one a year up to 2013 to more than three a year in the past five years.
Mr Coates noted most of the crashes involved vehicles leaving the road, often in wet conditions.
Proposed works include skid-resistant surfacing on bends and central median treatment.
It is estimated works would reduce the crash record by 30 per cent.
Allocated by the Department of State Growth, Black Spot funding is provided to projects that comply with the criteria – which includes at least three crashes resulting in injury within five years.
The result of the submission will not be known until July next year.
Both of the projects were considered by the Launceston Road Safety Consultative Committee and were endorsed to be recommended.
The committee also considered changes to traffic signal timing at the intersection of Charles Street and Frederick Street in Launceston.
It was not pursued for funding due to the pending review of traffic signal operation by the Department of State Growth and the council.
Under the last round the Black Spots Programme five pieces of road infrastructure in Northern Tasmania received funding.
Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam said projects were assessed on many crashes had occurred, or if crashes were likely to occur.
