Residents fear fatality at junction

Businesses and commuters affected by a dangerous intersection in Davenport fear it will take a fatality before a commitment is made on an upgrade.

Picton Tyre Centre owner Delia Dillon is concerned by the lack of enthusiasm to upgrade the Dodson Road and South Western Highway intersection.

“What do they want? A death?” she said.

Mrs Dillon said she was lucky to escape several near-crashes at the intersection which was at its worst between 3pm-5pm.

“The intersection is a nightmare and people aren’t patient because it’s frustrating having to wait,” she said.

Mrs Dillon is worried that in time people might refuse to deal with businesses located in the areas off Dodson Road.

Management at Morrisey Homestead have collected more than 600 signatures from people calling for the installation of traffic lights at the intersection.

“We’d like some traffic lights to loosen the congestion and make the intersection safer,” Mrs Dillon said.

Morrissey Homestead manager Anne Mitchell started the petition because she was worried about safety after witnessing many illegal and unsafe driving habits at the intersection.

“I have seen drivers who are waiting to turn right, turn left instead and do a u-turn around the island because it’s quicker,” she said.

“We can only hope the council can prioritise the intersection for signalisation.”

City of Bunbury director of works and services Phil Harris said neither the council nor the State had identified or approved funding for the upgrade, at this stage.

“In the immediate future the likelihood of physical on ground work is minimal,” he said.

According to Main Roads, the funding for such projects is partly determined by a Benefit Cost Ratio, where a comparison is made between the estimated cost of the project and the road user benefit.

Main Roads said there had been 14 crashes recorded at the site between 2008 and 2012 but could not confirm at what point the rate of crashes would be considered a priority.