Orange City Council received $2 million last year in federal funding for a list of blackspot intersections, but on Tuesday night, councillor Jeff Whitton asked why work had started on blisters in March Street, rather than a roundabout. 

Infrastructure policy committee chairman Glenn Taylor also said he was “at a loss to see how blisters will suffice”.

Technical services director Chris Devitt said because tenders did not meet the budget, staff had to scale the work back.

However, he said the treatment would better define the intersection to slow traffic down while cutting the distance motorists and pedestrians had to travel to cross it.

“We put forward the proposal for the blisters, which offers an improvement,” he said.

“The roundabout would have a higher level of improvement, but it’s not dissimilar to the other treatments along March Street.”

Cr Taylor asked why the council could not implement a small concrete roundabout, similar to the one at the intersection of Dalton and Peisley streets, but Mr Devitt said current compliance standards needed to be adhered to and it was a complex process.

Councillor Chris Gryllis said many motorists did not know how to deal with the blisters and they needed to be explained better, while councillor Kevin Duffy called them “a pain in the butt” for larger vehicles.

“In a couple of years’ time, I think we might be reviewing them,” he said.

However, Mr Devitt said 67 per cent of accidents occurred in regional areas.

“It would be disappointing if council turned its back on safety given the current statistics,” he said. 

Councillor Reg Kidd questioned the point of pedestrian crossings a short distance away from blisters on March Street, however Mr Devitt said he walked the route often and they were well-used.

The Lords Place/March Street intersection will be the last to receive the treatment in the current program and work is ongoing on the Woodward/Moulder Street roundabout.