By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
FEDERAL MP Jason Wood has questioned the effectiveness of the State Government’s $400 million plan to widen the Monash Freeway, labelling the proposal a “pig with lipstick”.
The La Trobe MP said the government’s plan to widen the freeway to five lanes running each way between EastLink and the South Gippsland Highway, and three lanes each way further out to Clyde Road, would not be sufficient.
“Local residents through my survey and conversations understand that two extra lanes are required in this section of the Monash, and I will continue to fight and lobby on their behalf to secure even more additional funding as part of this upgrade,” he said.
“In addition as part of the Monash upgrade, any upgrade must include the O’Shea Road extension with on/off ramps at the full diamond exchange in Beaconsfield as this will remove the need for Beaconsfield residents to enter and exit the Monash at Clyde Road.”
The government is looking to partner with the Federal Government to fund the upgrade, with some media outlets reporting they were looking for the Commonwealth to chip in as much as half of the estimated cost.
In October it was reported how the Turnbull Government was believed to have agreed to unlock the $1.5 billion East West Link money allocated to Victoria, provided it would be used on projects like the Monash Freeway.
But Roads Minister Luke Donnellan wouldn’t specify how much would be sought from his Federal counterparts, only to say the government will seek its “fair share”.
Speaking to Star News after a meeting with Federal colleagues on Thursday, Mr Wood said residents in the south-east were also being short-changed after the State Government announced plans for a $5.5 billion Western Distributor Project this week, including a western suburbs toll road.
“Residents in the eastern suburbs missed out on the East West Link and now rather than a major focus on the Monash, we’ll give you a little bit of splash cash and the rest goes to the western suburbs,” Mr Wood said.
“The ones that come last in this race are living in the eastern suburbs and I don’t want that to happen.”
But Mr Donnellan said the Monash Freeway upgrade was included in the Western Distributor Project, which would provide a “network-wide solution”.
He said upgrades to technology between Warrigal Road and Kooweerup Road would provide better flow and help reduce stop-start conditions, and that widening the freeway from East Link to Clyde Road would boost capacity and reduce travel times.
“The Victorian Government is seeking our fair share of Federal Government funding to deliver this vital upgrade for Melbourne motorists,” he said.
“The Victorian Government is delivering for south-east motorists and Jason Wood should get on board and support Victoria getting its fair share of Federal Government funding.”
The Monash project is expected to go to tender in mid-2016, with construction slated to begin in 2017, and expected to be finished the following year.
Testing on the Monash is already underway and is expected to continue until late February, stretching from Dandenong North to Berwick.
