Local road workers in fear of speeding drivers

SPEEDING drivers are endangering the lives of workers on road projects around Geelong, according to a local industry veteran.
Bill Alford, a Winchelsea father of five, said drivers “taking work sites for granted” had become a trend in the region.
“In my role as a supervisor on work sites I am noticing drivers are just going too fast through our work sites. It’s a real worry,” Mr Alford said.
“We’re working on the roads to improve them for all of us but we want to feel safe and get home at the end of the day.”
Mr Alford, who has worked on roads for 35 years, said his colleagues had to put their “trust” in drivers travelling through an “unpredictable environment”.
“We can do as much traffic management and put safety measures in place but if the individual driver does not take care it puts us at risk.”
Numerous road projects are underway around the region, including sites with high volumes of traffic, such as the Great Ocean Road and the Surf Coast Hwy at Grovedale. Workers often post speed limits of 40km/h as they work amid passing traffic.
VicRoads plans further works on other busy stretches including the Princes Fwy and Geelong-Portarlington Rd.
VicRoads south west regional director William Tieppo said 37 workers had been injured on Victorian road works sites since 2012.
Safety was a “serious issue” for road workers, Mr Tieppo said.
He urged drivers to take particular care over summer as projects proceeded in ideal conditions.
Drivers should also consider their own safety when driving through work sites.
“There are times when we can’t complete a job in a single day and speeds will stay reduced, even if there are no workers on site. This is to keep you and your family safe as the road conditions have changed,” Mr Tieppo said.