Road tour for funding

SENIOR VicRoads officials got a first-hand look at Casey’s worst roads during a tour last week.
The visit was designed to give the top-level decision-makers a chance to see what the council says is urgent work which needs to be carried out at different sites across the city.
Casey mayor Colin Butler and CEO Mike Tyler hosted the visit and took the officials to more than 20 roads that the council has earmarked for improvement.
Sites included the congested Clyde Road thoroughfare between Kangan Drive and High Street in Berwick, the Pound Road-South Gippsland Freeway interchange in Hampton Park and the potential Cranbourne Bypass site.
Several other issues were discussed during the meeting including what Casey has identified as public transport needs and how road projects can be funded.
Cr Butler said the visit was an ideal opportunity for the high-ranking VicRoads officials to gain a first-hand insight into the pressures on Casey’s roads created by the city’s large and growing population.
VicRoads regional manager Steve Brown said $1.3 million would be spent on upgrading roads in Melbourne’s outer metropolitan area over the next 10 years.
He said improvements would be made to the Western Port corridor and the Berwick-Cranbourne and Clyde Five Ways corridor to provide a high standard link between the Princes Freeway and South Gippsland Highway.
Other roads also earmarked for upgrades include Heatherton Road, Pound Road, Glasscocks Road, Thompsons Road and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.