By Alesha Capone
A Wyndham councillor has called on the state government to urgently fund the installation of traffic lights at a notorious Point Cook intersection.
Cr Kim McAliney, Wyndham’s safer communities portfolio holder and a member of the RoadSafe Westgate committee, said the council sent a letter about the Point Cook Road and Sneydes Road intersection to the state government during October last year.
A response from the Minister for Roads Jaala Pulford, which the council received this month, said: “Funding any improvements at this intersection will be considered in a statewide context, as part of a future funding program.”
Bur Cr McAliney said the council did not want to wait six months to see if funding for the intersection’s upgrade was included in the state government’s next budget.
“I want some action now, not to wait and see if we get something in the budget,” she said.
“It’s the number one priority in Point Cook.
“We’ve been lobbying for this since I was on council, since 2016.”
The council is responsible for Sneydes Road, while the state government is responsible for Point Cook Road. Cr McAliney said that Wyndham council had already committed around $3 million to upgrade the intersection, including $250,000 to develop designs “so that the project is shovel-ready”.
“Now, we’re asking them (the state government) to come to the party before a death occurs at this intersection,” Cr McAliney said.
Point Cook Action Group president Bob Fairclough said motorists waiting to turn right at the intersection often “lost patience”.
A state government spokesperson said:
“We’re working closely with Wyndham City Council to improve traffic flow and safety along the Point Cook corridor, including the Point Cook Road and Sneydes Road intersection.
“We’re also getting on with the largest road upgrade and road safety improvement program ever seen in Wyndham.
“The $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade includes upgrades to the Forsyth Road interchange and Palmers Road which will significantly ease congestion and traffic flow on Point Cook Road.”
