New lane to stop snarl on freeway

PEAK-hour travel times on the Monash Freeway are set to be slashed following a multi-million dollar State Government announcement yesterday (Wednesday).
The project will provide an additional lane on the Monash Freeway in both directions between Glenferrie and Heatherton Roads, saving more than 20 minutes in travel time.
The initiative was announced in conjunction with plans to also improve safety and road capacity along the West Gate Freeway and forms a major part of the State Government’s action plan ‘Meeting Our Transport Challenges,’ which will inject $10.5 billion over 10 years into the Victorian transport network.
The announcement also followed confirmation that the construction of a third train track on the Dandenong Rail Corridor between Caulfield and Springvale Stations will start in 2008.
Premier Steve Bracks said the Monash-West Gate corridor was approaching capacity and congestion was creating headaches.
“It is one of Victoria’s most important road corridors, but strong growth in suburbs along the route and extra freight through the Port of Melbourne are contributing to congestion,” he said.
“These major works will cut travel times for motorists, improve safety, and deliver more reliable movement of freight on this vital component of Victoria’s transport network,” he said.
Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the Monash-West Gate corridor carried traffic volumes in excess of 164,000 vehicles per day, and carried more than 15 per cent of the freight on Victoria’s major freight network.
“Travel on this route has increased at a rate of three to five per cent each year over the past four years so these works are vital to maintain this important east-west route for commercial and private traffic into the future.”