App plan to ease traffic pain

A traffic app that could divert Wyndham drivers away from roadworks could become a boon for residents.

Wyndham council is looking into developing an app, or using an existing app, that would keep residents informed about roadworks during the construction phase of the state government’s $1.8 billion planned road upgrades for Wyndham.

The road upgrades will include the duplication and widening of seven Wyndham roads – including sections of Dunnings, Palmers, Derrimut, Leakes, Dohertys, Forsyth and Duncans roads.

Werribee MP Tim Pallas said a contract for the project would be awarded later this year, with the works to begin early next year and scheduled to run until late 2021.

The timing and order of construction is still being determined.

Mayor Henry Barlow said that if the app plan was successful, residents would be able to use it to plan their trips without being caught out by road closures and the like.

“There’s going to be so many road works starting to happen around the city over the next 12 months and [they] will be going on for the next two to three years,” he said.

“We’re going to investigate whether we can put up an app so that people can actually check where the road closures, or half-road closures, are.

“If we can get that app up and running, it’s going to be a great help.”