21 Jun 2017 Wangaratta Chronicle, Wangaratta VIC (General News) by Steve Kelly FEEDBACK on making the Great Alpine Road safer was strong during a public consultation period to inform how best to spend $18 million on the major roadway. Both the state and federal governments will contribute $9 million each to upgrade 310km of road between Wangaratta and Bairnsdale which passes through the Victorian Alps. Community consultation sessions were recently held in Wangaratta, Myrtleford and Bright to answer public questions and listen to feedback about concerns on the road. VicRoads regional director North Eastern Nicki Kyriakou said they received some very helpful and positive community responses during the sessions. The feedback received was strongly focused on safety and included cyclist and motorist education, intersection and signage improvements, shoulder sealing, and pedestrian and cycling safety upgrades, Ms Kyriakou said. Along with feedback received from Gippsland communities and the online engagement, this input will help better inform our planning for the Great Alpine Roads present and future needs. We will be providing further updates to the community as the project progresses. We would like to thank everyone who gave up their time to assist with identifying issues or upgrade opportunities along this route. Communities in the Tambo and Ovens Valley rely on the Great Alpine Road as their main access point, and it is an important route for the timber, agriculture, snow and tourism industries. In the past five years, there have been 149 casualty crashes on this road, including eight fatality crashes and 64 serious injury crashes. Of these, 86 were run-off road crashes including 16 head-on crashes. Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) said the government is doing everything it can to make this stretch of road a lot safer, to save lives and reduce the risk of serious injuries. These upgrades will make the Great Alpine Road safer for everyone that lives, works, or travels through this area, she said. Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.