By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An announced $711 million Monash Freeway upgrade has been welcomed – though further road and rail upgrades are also urgently required, says Casey Council.
The project would expand the Monash from eight to 10 lanes between Warrigal Road and EastLink, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road.
Works would also include better connections at Beaconsfield and links to a new, duplicated O’Shea Road.
The upgrade would save nine minutes off a peak hour trip between Pakenham and the city.
Casey mayor Geoff Ablett was pleased that the Government supported the council’s calls to prioritise the upgrade to respond to “rapid population growth” and a “desperate need for better road infrastructure”.
The council has also reiterated its ‘Commit to Casey’ message for $1.2 billion for arterial road upgrades, as well as a long-awaited $1.5 billion extension of rail to Clyde.
“Casey’s roads are used by more cars than was ever intended, while investment in public transport has been slashed – making Casey one of Victoria’s most poorly transport-serviced municipalities,” Cr Ablett said.
“Casey’s transport congestion is still far from being fixed, and we would encourage the State Government and Opposition to further invest in our arterial roads and extend Cranbourne rail.”
The council also re-iterated its calls for the Government to clean-up graffiti blighting the freeway.
Cr Sam Aziz said VicRoads hadn’t delivered on its 2015-16 promise as well as adding vegetation and surveillance cameras to deter vandals.
A $111 million saving from stage one works will fund smart on-road technology that will give drivers live traffic information and manage lanes.
The full business case for stage-two has been submitted to Infrastructure Australia for the Federal Government’s final approval.
Construction is expected to start next year, following a tender process, and the new lanes would open in 2022.
Stage one is to be completed later this year.
Premier Daniel Andrews and Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said the second stage would create 600 jobs during construction.
They said the business case would be made public as soon as the Federal Government approves it.
“Adding more lanes where they’re needed most will slash congestion and deliver faster, more reliable journeys from Chadstone right through to Pakenham,” Mr Donnellan said.
Narre Warren South MP Judith Couacaud Graley said the project addressed the freeway’s “nightmare” gridlock.
The State Government says stage-two has been brought forward earlier than expected, though Federal MPs accuse it of “dragging the chain”.
La Trobe MP Jason Wood said that the second stage was made possible by a $500 million grant from the Federal Government.
“We’re pleased the Andrews Labor Government has finally committed to this vitally important project – even if their announcement fails to acknowledge the Federal Government is funding most of it.”
Mr Wood said it was “bizarre” that Mr Andrews described the stage-2 works as being fast-tracked.
”It’s a real shame that Victorians have been denied these vital upgrades for two years while the Andrews Labor Government has dragged the chain, despite Victorian and Commonwealth officials having held many months of discussions.”
The Federal Government would assess the business case “as quickly as possible” so works could start, Mr Wood said.
