A big win for motorists

THE multi-million dollar road connection between Heatherton Road, the Princes Highway and EastLink is now open after a push by the City of Casey Council back in 2005.
Casey mayor Lorraine Wreford said the council and community representatives advocated strongly for a change to the original road design, to accommodate the “missing link”.
“When presented with the original EastLink plans in 2005, council expressed concern about the absence of a direct connection from Heatherton Road to Princes Highway and EastLink,” Cr Wreford said.
“By working closely with the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA) and the EastLink Community Advisory Group, council was able to ensure the plans were changed and a potentially significant issue averted.”
The addition of the Heatherton Road connection required a complete revision of a section of the original plan, the acquisition of three business properties and a further $6.5 million.
Motorists travelling from Endeavour Hills and Noble Park, who previously accessed the Princes Highway and EastLink using Gladstone and Chandler roads, are set to be the biggest winners of the link.