MOTORISTS in the west could be waiting up to a decade before a second river crossing is built, regional lobby group LeadWest says.
The state government last week announced that it would spend $294 million over two years to begin building the eastern section of the east-west link, disappointing LeadWest and western suburbs councils lobbying for the western end to be built first.
LeadWest chief executive Anton Mayer said prioritising the eastern section of the 18-kilometre road project meant the west would be waiting until at least 2020 for a second river crossing. “The community will have to live with the impact of extra truck movements in the west unless other projects are introduced.”
Tarneit Labor MP and opposition treasury spokesman Tim Pallas said the government was forgetting about the congestion problems in growth areas. Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury defended the decision, saying it would benefit the west by diverting traffic from the M1 corridor.
