A REQUEST from Orange Health Council members to lower the speed limit in Forest Road has been denied due to additional traffic lights under construction in the area.
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Orange City Council traffic committee was asked to consider lowering the speed limit between Huntley Road and the Central West Linen Service from 60km/h to 50km/h - the stretch had been 80km/h until the speed was lowered to 60km/h to accommodate growing development in 2011.
But council spokesman Nick Redmond said the traffic committee decided to keeping the existing speed limit in place.
“Due to increasing development in that area, there are three set of traffic lights which are expected to be installed in that section of the road,” he said.
The first set of lights will be installed near the entrance of the new aged care facility, with two other sets planned for the entrance to the hospital and at the intersection of Forest Road and the new southern feeder road.
“The committee felt these three sets of lights would have the effect of reducing the speed of passing traffic,” Mr Redmond said.
Wangarang Industries general manager Kevin McGuire said, while employees were dropped off and picked up inside the facility outside peak times, he felt a drop to 50km/h was prudent due to traffic volumes.
“It’s more for the CareWest bus drivers - some staff coming in from Cadia have been tailgated by other drivers and they find it difficult to slow down to turn into the driveway,” he said.
“Quite a few school kids use Jack Brabham Park, so it makes sense.”
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au