Horsham Rural City Council will seek state government funding and designs for the upgrades of three CBD intersections as an immediate priority.
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It follows councillors adopting the Horsham Urban Transport Plan at the municipality's meeting on Tuesday night.
The council will also immediately seek to have conversations with the government about the most appropriate alternative truck route through southwest Horsham.
Robyn Gulline, chair of the council's project control group for the plan, said a bypass alone would not get trucks out of Horsham's CBD.
"It's actually incredibly difficult... because that's where the highway is. That's why other recommendations were made to find other roads we could possibly (upgrade)," she said.
"A lot of trucks already use Golf Course Road, so the suggestion was we put signage there for those who don't know it. The road obviously will also need to be upgraded to be safe to accommodate more trucks - made wider so that the edges don't drop off.
"People living out there raised concerns about the safety, and we agree. We tried to make sure the suggestions put forward were practical and acceptable."
Mrs Gulline, of Longerenong, said the majority of truck traffic travelling on Wilson Street from the Wimmera highway headed to the sale yards, Golf Course Road or the Western Highway.
She will also chair the project control group for the council's upcoming Rural Transport Network Plan.
At the meeting, councillor Pam Clarke said the plan gave the council "a clear understanding of the priorities of how we work our road system in Horsham".
Councillor Alethea Gulvin said she appreciated how much the plan considered cycling and regional road links.
"I traverse down Horsham-Noradjuha Road, and I think this area does need to be fixed," she said. "Improvements will be required to be made, and I understand that's discussed quite heavily.
"The one thing I'd really like to see is getting cycling paths and walkways improved along those areas, because road cyclists can't get their tyres off the road in that area - it's not wide enough for trucks."
Mayor Mark Radford said the Horsham bypass discussion had gone "on and on" since he first became a councillor in 2008.
"Not a lot has happened," he said. "Even when the bypass is built it'snot going to address the issues relating to the Wimmera and Henty Highways. That thinking has been picked up in this piece of work.
"We have issues with heavy vehicles now. I think it's 12,000 semi-trailers a week rumble through Horsham, so already we have issues with trucks. I think we also have the highest number of traffic lights between Adelaide and Melbourrne - seven. So from a transport company's point of view Horsham is a problem.
"This (plan) is a way forward in the short-term to maybe get some of those trucks around Horsham."
Councillors adopted the plan with 16 amendments based on community feedback, including:
- Adding "that there will be no conversion of angle to parallel without community consultation and support and an overall no net loss of car parking spaces"
- Investigating funding opportunities to provide additional off street parking in the vicinity of the hospital
- Investigate and develop a location for a B-double uncoupling area, rather than the existing use at the east end of Hamilton Street
- Reducing the speed limit on Kalkee Road at the Children's Hub.
What do you think of the projects the council will prioritise as part of this plan?