By Esther Lauaki
A group of residents is campaigning against the state government’s proposals to remove three level crossings in Werribee, calling the plans a “Band-Aid solution” to traffic woes.
The Wyndham Infrastructure Network, comprising a small group of residents, engineers and business owners, is urging the community to get up to speed with the plans which will remove the railway crossings at Old Geelong Road, Werribee and Cherry streets by the end of 2022.
The government’s preferred designs include:
•Old Geelong Road – build a road bridge over the rail line, east of the existing crossing, directly connecting the Princes Highway to Old Geelong Road and Heaths Road.
•Cherry Street – build a road bridge east of the existing crossing, linking Tarneit Road to the Princes Highway (via the irrigation channel next to Wyndham council’s offices).
•Werribee Street – elevate the railway line over the road, with a rail bridge over the street.
Network spokesman Lindsay Ingram said the state government’s preferred designs would not adequately address traffic flows.
“The preferred design [at Werribee Street] … will do virtually nothing to alleviate the congestion at this site since most of the congestion there is a result of traffic travelling to or from the Werribee city centre, the Princes Highway and many new estates,” Mr Ingram said.
“The funds could be better spent on fast-tracking the Ison Road crossing.”
“The preferred design for Morris Road also includes a closure of the rail crossing and a new rail bridge being constructed at the site currently occupied by Monte Villa Motel,” Mr Ingram said.
“Closure of this crossing impacts business at Hoppers Junction and the shopping centre … with some likely to close.”
The Level Crossing Removal Authority said this month in a statement that community feedback and other feasible designs had been considered.
“The project has listened to the community and made changes to the designs that will make the area safer, easier to get around and in keeping with the look and feel of the local area,” the authority said.
“We heard from the community that they would prefer signalised intersections to roundabouts, so at Old Geelong Road, the roundabout at the Princes Freeway off-ramp will be changed to a signalised intersection.
“At Cherry Street, the existing roundabout linking Tarneit Road to a new road bridge will be changed to a signalised intersection and a footpath will be included on the road bridge.
“A shared user path along the railway line will connect Princes Highway at the Tarneit Road intersection back to the pedestrian underpass at Cherry Street, increasing connectivity.
“We are still developing the designs for Old Geelong Road and Werribee Street.”
Further community information sessions will be held later this year.
See levelcrossings.vic.gov.au for details.
