Avenel Active is continuing to advocate for improvements to the Hume Freeway at Avenel to reduce the impact of engine brake noise on residents.

Between 2015-2020 there were three crashes causing injury on the Hume Freeway at the intersection of Jones Street and Tarcombe Road, Avenel.

Following advocacy by the Avenel Action Group (now Avenel Active) and the former Member for Northern Victoria, Tania Maxwell MP, the Victorian Government upgraded the intersection by improving the road surface, installing new line marking and signage, and introducing a new permanent speed limit of 80km/hr.


IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 80KM/HR REDUCED SPEED ZONE IN 2022

Avenel Action Group advocated for a 2.3km-long reduced speed zone on the freeway, beginning south of the Lambing Gully Road northbound exit. However, in 2022 Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) decided to install a shorter, 1.2km-long zone, beginning 500m north of the Lambing Gully Road exit.

In July 2022 Avenel Active wrote to RRV restating concerns that residents would be impacted by engine brake noise because the reduced speed zone starts too close to the town.

RRV responded stating: “During this project’s development several treatments were considered, including extending the 80km/h speed limit past Lambing Gully Road intersection.

...Speed limits are set to provide a balance between safety and network efficiency and need to be relevant to the type of road and its function. The Hume Freeway is one of Victoria’s key road corridors and a national freight route, linking Melbourne with north-eastern Victoria and beyond to New South Wales. Most of the Hume Freeway has a speed limit of 110km/h and, generally, road users perceive that the Freeway has been designed for a speed limit higher than 80km/h.

Lambing Gully Road has fewer vehicles, and in particular fewer heavy vehicles, turning onto the Hume Freeway compared to the Jones Street intersection. Due to lower traffic volumes, an extended section of 80km/h past Lambing Gully Road would potentially create a safety concern for traffic turning from Lambing Gully Road onto the Hume Freeway where the speed of motorists could vary significantly from 80km/h to 110km/h.

For these reasons, the 80km/h speed limit has been set closer to the Jones Street intersection to improve safety where there are high numbers of slow moving, heavy vehicles stopping at the Avenel Roadhouse.”


Avenel Active also asked if the noise impact of engine brake use on residents would be monitored and if any noise attenuation would be installed.

RRV replied:“We do not expect there will be additional road noise or truck engine braking due to the new speed limit and we will not be introducing noise attenuation measures as part of this project."


ENGINE BRAKE NOISE IMPACT ON RESIDENTS

Avenel Active continues to receive residents’ feedback about the impact of engine brake noise on their quality of life, especially disruption to sleep.

In 2023, at the instigation of an Avenel resident, RRV undertook a week of noise monitoring and recorded 29 elevated noise events above 75 decibels between 6:30pm and 11.00pm. RRV’s only action, however, was to install signs advising trucks to avoid using engine brakes

In 2024 Avenel Active wrote to Melissa Horne, Minister for Roads and Road Safety, seeking further action because the ‘Trucks avoid using engine brakes’ signs on the northbound lane were installed next to the town, when trucks are already approaching Hughes Street South and Scobie Street South. This doesn’t reduce noise impact on residents and we asked for the signs to be relocated closer to the Lambing Gully Road exit.

The Minister replied: “The ‘Trucks Avoid Using Engine Brakes’ signage is advisory and relies on the discretion of truck drivers following this advice. Given the current signage location is inside the new speed zone this may be exacerbating the use of engine braking in this area.
DTP [Department of Transport] will undertake a further review of the signage and consider installing additional advisory signage in advance of the speed zone if appropriate.”


We also asked, now there was evidence of additional road noise because of the shorter reduced speed zone, if the Victorian Government will reconsider the need for noise attenuation measures.

The Minister replied: “Targeted noise monitoring was conducted following the installation of the 80km/h speed zone in 2022. Results at the time did note increased use of engine braking within the 80km/h zone, however, the overall noise levels were found to be within acceptable levels for a freeway environment. Acknowledging the concerns raised by residents in Avenel Active Inc’s correspondence, DTP will commit to conducting further noise monitoring of engine braking within the 80km/h speed zone and, if required, review the speed zone.…
DTP will contact Avenel Active Inc following the completion of additional noise testing and signage review.”


Avenel Active will continue to advocate to the Victorian Government to reduce the impact of engine brake noise and increase road safety at the Hume Freeway.

Please email Avenel Active using the ‘Contact Us’ button below if you would like to share any concerns or views about the Hume Freeway intersection at Avenel.

Diagram of 2022 road safety improvements courtesy of Regional Roads Victoria.