By Ethan Benedicto
As motorists paved their way through the newly opened Bells Road, both the City of Casey’s mayor, Stefan Koomen and Dillwynia Ward councillor Anthony Walter took time to marvel at the new arterial passage.
The new, six-kilometre road connecting Clyde North and Berwick has since served as a critical passageway and has been crucial in easing congestion on the main path of Clyde Road.
Looping through O’Shea Road to Heather Grove, it has effectively replaced the former Soldiers Road which was notorious for its congested t-intersection, especially with neighbouring schools during peak hours.
Koomen acknowledged not just the local residents’ concerns, but motorists who frequent Clyde Road on its congestion, saying that “with this road open, it’s a big boost for our local road network”.
“We want to say a big thank you to our local residents for their patience while works were taking place to get this new stretch of road opened up.
“We think it was worth the short-term pain of road works to get Bells Road opened up, to support our growing community and make travelling to work, school, and sport much easier,” he said.
Local councillor Walter echoed the same sentiments, saying that there is an “extreme importance” in Bells Road, especially considering that “at any time during rush hour, Clyde Road is a mad house”.
“So just having this, to be able to get down to O’Shea Road and onto the freeway much easier, it really helps,” he said.
Koomen added that advocating for further works to be done in the area, namely the Thompsons Road roundabout, was a key piece in the council’s agenda.
“The Thompsons Road extension and the connection between Officer and all the way to Pakenham is one of our most vital road links, it’s been on the forward plan for many years.
“We’re advocating to all levels of government for the federal election coming up,” he said.
The project, which was valued at over $58 million, provides an alternative route for residents to travel between the northern and southern ends of Casey.
The road, which previously met delays due to gas pipeline works, now also supports new bus routes that service the greater Clyde North area.
Building on the importance of future upgrades to Thompsons Road, Walter agreed that the removal of the roundabout is a “major topic”.
“Luckily with Bells Road, that’s going to help divert the traffic when the construction begins to get those traffic lights up,” he said.
Ultimately, however, the vision has always been to ensure that there is infrastructure that accommodates the growing needs of newer areas in the city.
Mayor Koomen said that these roads “have been planned”, but it’s “just about getting on with it and delivering them”.
“We want to work with all levels of government to make that happen, and Thompsons Road is a particularly important link for employment precincts.
“It’s about jobs, it’s about getting people home quicker to be with their families, and it’s an absolute priority for this area,” he said.
Walter is on the same page, adding that there needs to be more motions on being “proactive and less reactive when it comes to city planning”.
“Maybe instead of just making two lanes for a road, we could make it three, we just need to think about the future, so if we can focus on that, we’ll be kicking goals,” he said.
