Two Tarneit North residents are calling for street lights to be installed at either end of the John Sweeting bridge, labelling it a “community safety crisis.”
Chaitanya Chalasani said the combination of the bridge’s design and a lack of lighting causes a major blind spot for drivers.
“Drivers only see stopped traffic once they reach the middle of the bridge, forcing sudden braking and causing collisions,” Mr Chalasani said.
“Until I get to the centre of the bridge, I can see a few cars but can’t really tell if they are stationary or moving.
“Last month, my car was struck in exactly these circumstances, and I have narrowly avoided multiple other collisions.“
He would also like a second footpath installed along the bridge to cater for the high volume of secondary school students crossing it.
‘I have seen them [students] crossing the road dangerously because there is no footpath. Kids just cross randomly when they think there is no traffic.
“Cars traveling at 70km/h, people crossing and no lights is a recipe for disaster– especially during peak hour.
“If these issues aren’t fixed immediately, pedestrians and drivers will die.”
Mr Chalasani said he has been handballed between council and the state government for more than a year when trying to address the issue.
“Everyone seems to be pointing to another department to solve the issue,” he said.
“It just takes one person to own the issue and then try and bring forth a solution—but no one seems to own it.
“Why did they put us in these new estates if they aren’t willing to take ownership for our safety.
“This is not bureaucracy — it is a community safety crisis.”
Star Weekly has seen a trail of emails in which Mr Chalasani contacted council, was referred to VicRoads, referred back to council which then referred him to Major Road Projects Victoria— another state government body.
Fellow resident Mahesh Dokina said he had a similar experience.
“We are in a situation of limbo, but it needs to be addressed by the responsible departments as soon as possible,” he said.
“It is a public safety issue– everyone is at risk. We are never sure what the vehicle in front of us is doing due to the lighting.
“Especially in the winter when it is dark by 6pm, each time I would come back from the office to do my shopping, I could see there was an accident.”
Mr Dokina said Tarneit North residents have no choice but to use the bridge when commuting and the growing population is making the situation worse.
“We have to cross that road, to get to the office, to get groceries, at least three to four times a day,” he said.
“When I moved here with my family in 2019, there were only two estates, but now because of the rapid growth there are more than six [estates].
“The bridge design that currently exists does not cope.”
Both Mr Chalasani and Mr Dokina urged the state government to lower the speed limit on the bridge from 70km/h to 50km/h.
Councillor Josh Gilligan said after the bridge was built by the state government as part of the Regional Rail Link project before being handed to council to maintain.
“Unfortunately, when the bridge was built the state didn’t install lighting, nor a path on both sides.
“More concerningly, there appear to be constraints on the bridge that make installing suitable streets difficult or potentially impossible.
“In order to raise awareness of potential queues and alert drivers to slow down, council will install signage on the approach to the bridge crest to this effect.
“These signs have been ordered and will be installed as soon as they arrive.”
The Department of Transport and Planning said Tarneit Road is a council managed road and they are responsible for managing and identifying safety issues, including lighting and speed limits.
