In that time, he has seen the volume of traffic on the Midland Hwy increase dramatically.
When driving home from Benalla, he and his wife, Ros, turn right from the Midland Hwy, on to Lima Rd.
The Midland Hwy has a 100km/h speed limit at the junction, and it is a route used by logging trucks.
With no right-turn lane, Mr Burnell was well aware of the speed at which cars approached from the rear, often having to swerve to get around his car as he waited for a safe moment to make the turn.
While the hard shoulder provided space for cars to zoom past, Mr Burnell became increasingly concerned that one might not swerve in time.
The stretch of road is straight, giving drivers time to slow down when they see a car stopped and ready to turn. But eventually, the inevitable happened.
“On Friday, December 8, 2017, while waiting to turn on to Lima Rd, from the Midland Hwy, my wife was hit from behind by an inattentive driver,” Mr Burnell said.
“She was hospitalised and her car written off, as was the offending vehicle.”
Following that incident, Mr Burnell decided it was time to lobby for change at that junction.
His suggestion was a right-turn lane, which would allow cars to pass while another waited to turn — without having to use the shoulder to get past.
He met with representatives of VicRoads but was frustrated when a response to his request took too long.
“I heard nothing from them,” he said.
“Then, in mid-2023, work started at the junction. Hopefully, this was work to create a right-hand turn lane.
“Imagine my surprise when, instead, a left-hand turn lane from the direction of Swanpool appeared.”
Mr Burnell said he was left scratching his head.
On January 31, 2024, he sent correspondence to Victorian Transport Minister Melissa Horne.
“I got no response from her office. But I did receive a standard acknowledgment of my submission from VicRoads,” he said.
Mr Burnell said he was not giving up the fight to get the right-turn lane installed and hoped something would be done before someone was seriously injured, or even worse.
A Victorian Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said the safety of everyone travelling on the state’s roads was its priority.
“In September last year, we delivered safety upgrades at this intersection, and we’ll continue working with the community to see if further improvements are needed,” the spokesperson said.
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