Fischer Street road safety works

Updated February 2026.

Works are underway on road safety improvements along Fischer Street, aimed at increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Stage one works

Darian Road roundabout - raised priority crossings (for pedestrians and cyclists) on all four sides.
Parkside Crescent to Highlander Street - construction of an off-road bike lane on the south bound side, and marking of a 1.5m on-road cycle lane on the north-bound side.
Beach Road - raised pedestrian crossing on eastern side of roundabout.

Line marking works are being undertaken between Monday 16 February and Friday 20 February to complete this stage. Workers will be in site from 7am to 5pm but traffic changes will only begin at 9am and finish at 3pm.

Traffic impacts

Fischer Street and Darian Road roundabout:

Darian Road will be closed on either side of the roundabout.
Fischer Street will be reduced to one lane, managed by traffic controllers and speed reduced to 40 km/h.
Clearly signed detours will be in place.

Line marking between Parkside Crescent and Highlander Street will eb completed with the speed reduced to 40km/h. No road closures or detours will be needed for these works.

Stage two works - starting 23 February

Stage two works will start on 23 February and are expected to be completed before Easter.

The works will include:

Merrijig Drive and Fischer Street roundabout - raised pedestrian crossings on Merrijig Drive legs of the roundabout.
Raised pedestrian crossing on Fischer Street, near Yirn Avenue.
Speed hump on Merrijig Drive between Yallock Court and Scott Avenue changed to a raised pedestrian crossing.
Cycling lane on Fischer Street between Centreside Drive and Merrijig Drive, west side.

Traffic impacts

During these works there will be road closures at the intersection of Fischer Street and Merrijig Drive and local access only on Fischer Street and Merrijig Drive, as shown on the map below.

On street parking will be removed during these works on the detour roads of Yirn Avenue and Centreside Drive to allow access for school busses on these roads.

All roads will be open for Easter and school holidays.

Stage three works - starting after Easter

Stage three works will start after Easter and include:

Centreside Drive roundabout – raised pedestrian crossings on all four legs.
Speed hump on Merrijig Drive near McLean Street changed to a raised pedestrian crossing.
Cycling lane on Fischer Street between Centreside Drive and Merrijig Drive, east side.

Further information about traffic impacts will be sent once traffic plans are approved.

Frequently asked questions

Why are you making these changes on Fischer Street?

Fischer Street was identified as a high risk corridor for pedestrians and cyclists during the development of Council’s Safer Cycling Strategy in 2022.

In a five-year period in the lead-up to the strategy, there were 12 crashes on Fischer Street causing injury, including seven involving cyclists.

We aim to encourage active transport around Torquay by making it safer for people to travel by bike or on foot.

Why is a protected roundabout better for cyclists?

Protected roundabouts protect cyclists by:

Provide a safe off road alternative for children to travel through the roundabout safely.
Speed platforms are designed to slow traffic to speeds under 30 km/h.
Slowing vehicles to 30 km/h gives more time for the vehicle to perceive, slow down and stop for cyclists through the roundabout.

Stopping distance at different speeds.jpg

A person/cyclist hit at speeds below 30 km/h reduces the likelihood of serious and fatal injuries.

How were the changes developed?

The road safety improvements were selected through a Transport Accident Commission-funded analysis in 2023, which included a community survey and workshops.

Why so many signs?

We acknowledge the community feedback about the high number of signs at the Darian Road-Fischer Street roundabout when it was first installed.

After a review of the design, we removed 18 posts and 20 signs.

The remaining signs are in place to support the safety of all roundabout users.

We've factored the feedback from this roundabout into the designs of future stages of the project.

What other changes have you made on Fischer Street?

This current project is a continuation of our efforts to improve safety on Fischer Street, as a direct connection between central and north Torquay.

It follows the installation of raised priority crossings at the Inshore Drive intersection, wombat crossings at Nautical Rise and Deep Creek, and ‘sharrows’ (shared lane markings for cyclists and cars) at several roundabouts along the street in 2024.