Warragul and Drouin future transport planning

Overview

Within the next 30 years, the combined population of Warragul and Drouin is expected to almost triple to reach around 73,000 residents, placing considerable pressure on the existing road network.

As part of the Victorian Government’s $20 million Planning our Future initiative, we’ve been investigating potential road improvement opportunities to meet the likely challenges posed by this rapid growth.

In addition to our own investigations, in late 2017 and early 2018 we engaged key stakeholders and the community to help define and prioritise network issues. This work resulted in the identification of short-term (0-5 year) projects as well as the need for longer-term planning for major upgrades of the network.

We investigated nine high-priority issues identified during engagement with the community, including Drouin town centre congestion, and confusion and safety concerns for the freeway roundabout at Korumburra-Warragul Road, Warragul. We also developed two potential projects:

• Proposed improvements along Korumburra-Warragul Road (Howitt Street) in Warragul, including traffic lights at the Burke Street intersection;
• A proposed new roundabout at the Wellwood Road (Drouin-Longwarry Road) and Princes Way (Drouin-Warragul Road) intersection in Drouin, that would improve access to the industrial zone and intersection safety.

Details

Korumburra-Warragul Road (Howitt Street)

Our plans for Korumburra-Warragul Road include:

• proposed traffic lights that would improve safety at the Burke Street intersection, including a signalised pedestrian and cyclist crossing
• a proposed dedicated cycling connection between Alfred Street and the roundabout, including a bicycle lane from Burke Street to the freeway roundabout.

Princes Way and Wellwood Road intersection

Our proposal for the Princes Way and Wellwood Road intersection aims to address the community’s concerns about safety, accessibility and congestion at the intersection with:

• a proposed move of the intersection, approximately 400m north
• a proposed new roundabout that would provide easier access for heavy vehicles, better access and safety
• proposed changes to existing service road arrangements.

Drouin town centre

Feedback from key stakeholders and the community identified congestion through Drouin’s town centre as the highest priority issue for road users in Warragul and Drouin.

The community indicated a strong preference for replacing the roundabouts in Main Street (Princes Way) with traffic lights and the removal of the zebra crossings to address the current issues.

We explored this option, which would necessitate widening of the road from one to two lanes in each direction to ensure adequate traffic flow. However, our investigations show that the impacts of the necessary road widening would be extensive and include:

• loss of car parking
• land acquisition, with all shopfronts on one side of the street impacted.

Our assessment is that this option would place an unacceptable burden on local traders and detract from the town’s ‘sense of place’.

More planning work is required to determine the best possible solution for the community.

Korumburra-Warragul Road freeway roundabout

Safety at the Korumburra-Warragul Road freeway roundabout was also identified as a major concern through the community engagement process, with a common complaint being that the six legs and the change from two lanes to one within the roundabout was confusing.

To reduce confusion and improve safety, we explored the option of reducing the roundabout to one lane. We also factored in the potential impacts of the proposed traffic lights at the intersection of Korumburra-Warragul Road and Burke Street on the roundabout’s operation.

Our traffic modelling indicated some benefits of a single-lane operation in the short term. However, further planning effort is needed to find the best solution for the longer term.

Have a say

The initial engagement phase for this planning project began in November 2017 and ran for three months until February 2018.

During this time, we asked local businesses, key stakeholders and the community about their experiences travelling in and between Warragul and Drouin. We asked about their concerns in specific locations within the two towns and their suggestions on how to improve safety and traffic flow.

We received feedback via community information sessions, social media and our interactive map. Through these different engagement methods, we reached over 35,000 people.

You can read a summary of the feedback in our engagement update.

The second stage of engagement, inviting feedback on the proposals developed for Wellwood Road and Princes Way Drouin, and for the intersection of Howitt Street and Burke Street Warragul, took place during September 2019 with a series of community events and stakeholder meetings. This feedback will be used to further refine our proposals.

What happens next?

Our work to date shows a need for further planning to address current and future traffic volumes at each of these locations and across the Warragul and Drouin arterial road network as a whole.

We will progress the designs, drawing on community feedback received during the second stage of engagement and keep the community informed of any updates.

Get in touch

If you’d like more information or have any questions

Write: Warragul and Drouin Engagement, RRV Eastern Region, PO Box 158, Traralgon 3844

Email: [email protected]