By Danielle Kutchel
Residents living along O’Shea Road in Berwick fear they will be living on a freeway once planned extensions to the road are complete.
Residents of Affinity Estate in Berwick, which sits adjacent to O’Shea Road, are furious at plans to increase the capacity of the road from a single lane in each direction, to three lanes in each direction.
O’Shea Road is currently undergoing a major upgrade as part of works to widen the Monash Freeway, and on completion will link up with the Monash Freeway at the Beaconsfield Interchange.
The new interchange will be similar in size, at three lanes in each direction, to the Clyde Road interchange with the Monash Freeway around four kilometres away.
Those living in Affinity Estate – including those who bought into the estate just a few years ago – say they believed the road would become a duplicated four lane carriageway, with no mention of the six lanes in their section 32 vendor statements prior to purchasing their properties.
However, current plans for the O’Shea Road duplication show that the road will become a major freight bearing arterial to rival the width of the Monash Freeway at three lanes in either direction.
Residents say the widening of the road to six lanes will “significantly alter” traffic patterns in the streets around Affinity Estate, with increased traffic loads on Cresthaven Boulevard, where the single entry point into Affinity Estate is located.
Residents are currently locked in a battle to try and mitigate the impact of the six lanes of traffic.
The fight is being led by Mick Suttie, chairman of the Affinity Owners Corporation, homeowner in Affinity Estate and himself a former project manager on government projects.
According to Mr Suttie, consultation throughout the process has been lacklustre, with no consultation with Affinity residents to address their concerns with the size of the road and noise mitigation actions during the critical design phase.
As late as 2018, the plans for the upgrade show O’Shea Road being duplicated to two lanes in either direction.
In 2019, this changed to three lanes in each direction.
Residents say O’Shea Road was never meant to accommodate so many lanes of traffic in the section adjoining Affinity Estate.
“The O’Shea Road reserve east of Skyline Way is easily able to accommodate the proposed six lanes,” Mr Suttie said.
“However, the reserve between Clyde Road and Skyline Way is much narrower and was set up to accommodate a four lane upgrade, with a treed reserve protecting residential homes.
“Current plans show the road will now be three lanes opposite the estate.
“This will mean the six traffic lanes will run a footpath-width from homes with noise, vibration, overhead lighting spillage, and changed traffic conditions in surrounding streets.”
The six-lane upgrade will take up the entire reserve on either side of O’Shea Road.
Ahead of the widening, 286 mature trees – which residents say were planted in anticipation of only a four-lane upgrade – have been removed and underground services have been relocated.
The total width of the road reserve is 60 to 80 metres wide, including vegetation and footpaths on either side.
Six-lane roads typically require 40 metres of width, according to Mr Suttie.
Currently, there is 34 metres of space between the footpaths on either side of O’Shea Road – designed to comfortably support four lanes in a treed reserve, Mr Suttie said.
Residents approached Liberal Gembrook MP Brad Battin for assistance after what they feel is a lack of action from Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas.
Documents obtained by Gembrook MP Brad Battin under Freedom of Information show that Jacinta Allan, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, is supportive of plans for the road to become six lanes.
“Planning for urban growth in Berwick and the surrounding area has determined that the design for the upgrade of O’Shea Road needs to be three lanes in each direction,” the Minister writes in a letter to the City of Casey, dated 7 July 2020.
“With more lanes and new signalised intersections at Kimbarra Drive, Bridgewater Boulevard and Soldiers Road, along with the upgraded intersection at Clyde Road, the improvements at O’Shea Road will enable traffic to flow more efficiently and safely. Connecting O’Shea Road to the Beaconsfield interchange will help ease the congestion on nearby Clyde Road. Providing an additional connection to the Freeway is essential to keep traffic moving in this area.”
In a further letter, dated 14 August 2020, the Minister said residents would not be eligible for noise-reducing asphalt.
Instead, vegetation will be planted between the widened road and houses.
In a briefing note to the Minister, obtained by Mr Battin under FOI and provided to Star News Group, Major Road Projects Victoria stated that noise mitigation measures like a sound barrier would not be provided, “due to their additional time and cost impacts and the risk of creating a precedent for future projects which is not consistent with existing Victorian Government policy.”
Narre Warren South MP Gary Maas, whose electorate covers O’Shea Road, said while he had raised residents’ concerns including for noise attenuation with the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, the decision to not install barriers was consistent with government policy.
“I have been advised that all current projects around the State are guided by VicRoads’ Traffic Noise Reduction Policy 2005.
“The O’Shea Road project is consistent with that policy. Unfortunately, in spite of requests to accommodate noise attenuation, it fell outside the terms of the policy,” he said.
“Generally, constituents seem to understand that O’Shea Road needs to be upgraded as congestion in the area is bad and everyone is aware of the new housing developments happening in the area.
“While not all residents of Affinity Estate are supportive of this Commonwealth-State funded project, most constituents have expressed their support for the project to me.”
In a statement, a government spokeswoman said the upgrade to O’Shea Road would “improve traffic flow and travel times and make it easier for locals to join the Princes Freeway”.
“Independent traffic modelling shows three lanes in each direction is the right design for O’Shea Road,” the spokeswoman said.
