Justin Brooks, the general manager of the Twin City Truck Centre in McKoy Street, said he told VicRoads bureaucrats recently that a roundabout would be preferable to their current work.

“I said ‘you should have put in a big roundabout, compared to what you’ve done now, because what you’ve done is completely unsafe because people will still speed through the intersection’,” Mr Brooks said.

“I said ‘what you’re doing is not going to last, there will be an accident, it’s only a matter of time’.” 

VicRoads is reconfiguring the intersection by forcing vehicles on the freeway to travel past McKoy Street before turning back across oncoming traffic.

Mr Brooks conservatively estimated there were 500 daily truck trips between the freeway and McKoy Street, with up to 150 each tied to his business and the nearby Visy cardboard factory.

“The overpass is the safe way and the only way considering the amount of traffic,” he said.

“The planning should have been in for this a long time ago, it shouldn’t be left up until the eleventh hour.

“A roundabout is not the answer either, it’s a temporary thing but what’s there is not ideal.”

Mr Brooks’ comments follow The Border Mail reporting VicRoads is spending $40,000 on shifting lighting and kerbing at the intersection because the original design failed to adequately cater to turning B-double trucks. 

VicRoads North East manager Nicki Kyriakou, who declined to speak to The Border Mail about the fiasco, on Tuesday gave an interview to ABC Radio Goulburn Murray and said testing with a B-double two weeks ago had exposed flaws.

She said “I wouldn’t say it’s failed” when she was questioned about the inability of trucks to turn effectively at the site.

“They could still turn but these changes to the kerbing and..lighting changes have made it much easier for them to be able to do the manoeuvre and given them much better sight line differences,” Ms Kyriakou said.

“It’s about making sure when this intersection becomes operational it is as safe as it can be.”

Ms Kyriakou said VicRoads was still examining the future of the freeway through Wodonga and would present findings to the community in coming months.