Highway neglect forcing fatal backroad detours

Although Mr Bonaddio was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he says he was lucky to come out of it walking and talking.

The young father spent two weeks in hospital and was off work for three months, but with ongoing physiotherapy his life is now back on track.

It’s the same intersection where, two weeks ago, a truck driver lost his life.

Already, 40 lives have been lost on Victoria’s rural roads this year, an increase of 22 per cent over the same period last year.

In the past 10 years, 63 people have lost their lives in Indigo and Moira Shires and more than 600 were seriously injured.

Locals agree it is only time before another serious accident happens on the backroads south of Bundalong.

The flood-damaged and degraded Murray Valley Highway has been reduced to a 60km zone around Bundalong, causing frustrated and sometimes impatient drivers to take the backroads and avoid the area.

Since his accident, Mr Bonaddio always slows down at the intersections, even with right of way.

“There’s absolutely been an increase in traffic avoiding the highway, and an increase in close calls on the back roads since the speed limit was reduced,” he said.

“I’ve had close calls myself.”

It’s not just local traffic. Heavy vehicles are also taking the backroads, which were never designed for high flow or heavy transport.

Mr Bonaddio’s father-in-law, Chris Dowling was one of the first on scene at the fatal accident two weeks ago.

Mr Dowling drives through the intersection multiple times every day and sees near misses “all the time”.

He said the amount of traffic on the rural roads is out of hand.

“It’s not what they were designed for,” Mr Dowling said.

“The Murray Valley Highway is the cause of all this … people have had enough and they’re taking the back roads.

“The number of cars going along Channel Rd to avoid Yarrawonga is horrendous.”

With school buses also travelling along the same route, Mr Bonaddio said the focus needed to be on the Murray Valley Highway.

“It’s not just farmers, there’s children on buses,” he said.

“You’d hate to think what could happen if it was the school bus going through.”

The Murray Valley Highway from Wodonga to Yarrawonga, through the Rutherglen wine region, is in one of Victoria’s major regional tourism destinations, and a busy heavy transport route.

The ageing, flood damaged road is in desperate need of upgrade, but when the Federal Government announced a more than $3.3 billion investment into Victoria for new road and rail projects earlier this month, none was allocated to regional and rural upgrades.

“Drivers can’t shirk responsibility either,” Mr Bonaddio said.

“It’s us as drivers who need to be responsible, but we need to invest in infrastructure.

“The statistics show a far smaller proportion of Victorians living in rural areas and a much higher incidence of road fatalities.

“Towns like Yarrawonga are growing, but infrastructure spending is disproportionate.

“At the very least, improvements are needed at the country cross-roads … trees on the corners hamper visibility and the nature strips aren’t always well kept.

“There needs to be a stop sign, or offset the road so it’s necessary to slow down.”

The Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said this month’s funding announcement of $1.2 billion, matched the Victorian Government’s $964 million funding for regional and rural roads late last year.

“Those of us who live in the regions spend most of our time driving on local roads,” Ms King said.

“The (Australian) Government recognises that councils need more support to repair and maintain their local road networks.”

She said Roads to Recovery funding, which is paid direct to local councils was doubled to $1 billion per year with Moira Shire receiving $22.4 million over five years, and $9.4 million to Indigo Shire.

However, maintaining the Murray Valley Highway is a Victorian Government responsibility.

Last year’s funding announcement to rebuild, repair, and resurface roads across Victoria was lauded as the largest single-year investment in road maintenance in the state’s history, but none of that money will be spent here.

Meanwhile, Mr Bonaddio says his thoughts are with the truck driver who recently lost his life, and the driver of the ute who collided with him on the now notorious Boomahnoomoonah Rd and Carmichaels Rd intersection.