Mr James fears that the stretch of Goulburn Valley Hwy, popularly known as The Bends, is currently a disaster waiting to happen following a 2023 crash and said despite contacting the local MP, State Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy, claims no effort is being made to promptly rectify the situation.
It is a claim Mr McCurdy has denied.
The cause for concern; a stretch of The Bends where a truck crashed through the road railings in 2023, causing one lane to be closed.
It is this crash and its aftermath that has Mr James fuming.
According to Mr James, VicRoads told him a new railing was being designed and that after VicRoads put it to open market it could take three months to make and install it.
In the meantime, temporary solutions such as portable traffic lights were implemented, but Mr James said they were often faulty, necessitating police to guide traffic.
These malfunctions have since been confirmed by Cobram police.
Mr James said something needed to be done to open up both lanes and prevent a crash on The Bends, which saw thousands of vehicles travel each day to and from NSW.
“I cannot fathom why the decision was not made to temporarily replace the damaged railing with the three-tonne concrete barriers already present at the site now,” he said.
“If they were placed across the opening and pushed into place then secured to the bridge decking, both lanes could remain open and no ineffective traffic management would be required ... It’s a load of hogwash.”
Mr James said the current situation was not only hazardous but also resulted in significant government and taxpayer expense. He said he feared the conditions were ripe for a fatality if nothing was done.
“Labuan Rd and the Murray Valley Hwy intersection it a classic example of ‘pleadings’ being ignored … with five dead,” he said.
“This has got the hallmarks of the same situation.”
Mr Jones said he contacted state Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy to see if something could be done but there was no response.
“Mr McCurdy isn’t doing the job he is elected to do,” Mr Jones said.
“He needs to lift his game.”
Contacted by the Courier, Mr McCurdy confirmed that Mr James did make contact with him.
“Mr James first contacted my office on the 24th of April,” he said.
“In order to provide (Mr James) with an accurate response there may be a short period of waiting while we make inquiries with VicRoads and the minister’s office.”
Mr McCurdy said that nonetheless he was aware of the issue surrounding The Bends and had been calling for something to be done for the past six months.
“I had been assured that while there was some complexity to replacing the barrier, work would commence in early 2024,” Mr McCurdy said.
“I, too, share the frustrations of locals that such an important and high-use freight corridor remains in disrepair while repair works continue to be delayed — disappointing but not surprising given the Allan Labor Government’s track record of delays and blowouts“
Mr McCurdy said he would continue to try to find a solution to the problem with the relevant bodies.
VicRoads has been contacted for comment.
• Hugh James is a pseudonym.
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