So for the last year or two that I've been commuting on the M5, when heading westbound I've always gone straight
after the Beech Road exit. Just recently with all the widening, they installed some concrete barriers which were placed in such a way that it forced me to ride extremely close to the road (almost on the white line). Being quite concerned for my safety and others, I wrote to them two nights ago.
It turns out we cyclists are not allowed to commute along that section and must take the Beech Road exit, joining the Hume Highway again via Campbelltown Road. They pointed out to a sign indicating so (which I did see tonight after looking for it).
I replied last night stating the signage and instructions were not all that clear and could be missed by others. Their response was a surprise and I applaud them for taking the matter seriously and swiftly:
Thanks for your email, our traffic management team have taken your feedback on board and as a result they have arranged work crews to start stencilling additional signage on the road pavement at this location to assist with directing cyclist traffic. In addition to the stencilling we have also placed an order for additional signage.
The new signage is larger in size 600 x 1200 and the signs have a high visual frame on them. They will be positioned just after the Box Road overpass and just before the Beech Road Exit directing bicycles off the motorway.
The stencilling has been scheduled to commence tonight and the signage should arrive and be installed within the week. Safety is our number one priority on this project and we appreciate you taking the time to contact us with your concerns. If you have any additional questions please don't hesitate to contact our team.