Call for roundabout

By Lia Bichel
CASEY Council is considering the install of a roundabout at a dangerous Berwick intersection, despite it not being included in this year’s budget.
There have been several car smashes at Harkaway Road and Ernst Wanke Road, Berwick within the last 12 months, the most recent on 26 May.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan said he was disappointed that despite hundreds of residents’ petitions, and a report written by council officers calling on the City of Casey to install a roundabout at the intersection, the council had not allocated any specific funding to the project in its 2011/2012 capital works budget.
“This project is sorely needed to increase road safety and traffic flow at the intersection, and this latest crash is a testament to that,” Mr Donnellan said.
“More than 750 local residents last year called on the City of Casey to install a roundabout at the intersection. The council’s own report into it also identified the need for a roundabout. It beggars belief why the council has not allocated funds to this project.”
But City of Casey Manager Transport Paul Hamilton said the council considered a report at its meeting of 21 September last year regarding the intersection of Ernst Wanke Road and Harkaway Road Berwick. He said the report stated there would be operational benefits in upgrading the intersection with a roundabout and the preliminary estimate for the works was reported to be in the order of $600,000.
“Casey Council is currently undertaking the detailed investigation and design for the roundabout project to allow an accurately costed and scoped project to be considered in council’s forward capital works program. The project is a large undertaking and would not have been ready for delivery in council’s 2011/12 budget period,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Once the design work and an accurate estimate have been determined, the project will be able to be prioritised against other projects in the forward capital works program.