By Jessica Anstice
After nearly 13 months, works on the $7.5 million roundabout at the Pound Road and Shrives Road intersection in Hampton Park is still to be completed.
According to VicRoads significant service relocations and processes for land acquisition resulted in an extended timeline for the project.
“I called VicRoads and they’ve had issues with the service station with purchase of land and underground services,” Narre Warren South resident Geoff Warner said.
“Why are they undertaking these jobs in the first place if they’re not capable of dealing with small underground issues?
“These issues to my knowledge are typical to any road upgrade.”
The new two-lane roundabout is part of a project that has included improved street lighting, new footpaths and service relocations to enable road widening.
“The problem is there are actually one and three quarter lanes instead of two lanes when approaching the roundabout from the western direction, from Hallam Road, travelling east towards Narre Warren Station,” Mr Warner said.
“You don’t make roads one and three quarter lanes. People don’t know what to do.
“They could have removed and realigned the concreate curbing to adjust it. One metre more is all they needed.”
Works on the roundabout began in September 2017. The roundabout is now operating with minor site works including landscaping and final road surfacing to be complete by early 2019.
“It’s expected to be finished at the end of this year which gives them 15 months to build a roundabout,” Mr Warner said.
“I believe Americans can build big buildings in that time. They could partially rebuild the twin towers.
“There are a real sparse number of contractors there.”
Mr Warner said his major concern is the lack of attention to detail with the project.
“They haven’t addressed some minor issues and because they are very minor it’s been overlooked,” he said.
“It’s like the planning has been done on paper but no one has driven the road and felt the road to know the issues that really need to be addressed.
“I feel concerned for learner drivers in this area because if they’re driving this road, it’s actually quite dangerous.”
Member for Narre Warren South Judith Graley said, “It’s been a long drawn out process and I can assure everyone I have been on the back of the minister’s office to get this project finished.
“Residents have been very patient and some have been unhappy about the project but overall residents are happy the project is finally in its final stages,” she said.
Mr Warner said, “Politicians in general; they don’t drive these roads.
“If these politicians had to drive these roads morning and night themselves, I believe their actions would be very different to what they presently are.
“Coming out of my road onto Shrives Road has steadily got worse because of the growth and a lot of movement from cars from Hampton Park to Fountain Gate and vice versa.
“Particularly from 3pm onwards, the traffic can be queued right past Dee Wy Road, you can’t get out of the street because of the traffic is blocking.”
City of Casey strategic advisor of transport Paul Hamilton said, “The City of Casey welcomes this important project, which has been a major priority for council for many years.
“It will see the removal of an intersection that the community has been advocating for, for a long time.”
Mr Warner strongly suggested that Pound Road needs to be duplicated. VicRoads has no current plans to duplicate Pound Road.
Approximately 30,000 vehicles use this section of Pound Road every day.
