VICROADS says it has no plans to duplicate Point Cook Road, even before Wyndham Council has had a chance to put their request for road improvements in writing.
Speaking to the Weekly this week, VicRoads’ acting regional director Damien Afxentis said it had “no plans” to duplicate Point Cook Road.
Although it seems a request for improvements to the major bottleneck may have come too late, the council last week resolved to put their wish-list for road improvements in writing.
It will write to VicRoads about Point Cook Road’s duplication between Dunnings and Sneydes roads. Other roads on its priority list include sections of Forsyth, Sayers, Heaths and Derrimut roads.
According to the council’s 2011 traffic volumes report, Point Cook Road is running over capacity, carrying 21,100 vehicles a day. The report lists Point Cook Road as being in urgent need of duplication, along with several other arterial roads being pushed to bursting point.
Cr Bob Fairclough said he was concerned that Point Cook Road, which is the responsibility of VicRoads, had not yet been lined up for funding.
“I have concerns about how VicRoads is prioritising their road constructions needed to relieve congestion, because I think there’s absolutely no doubt of the urgent need for Point Cook Road.”
Point Cook resident Dianne Stitt said there had been a noticeable surge in traffic on Point Cook Road over the past six months.
“I used to leave at 7.15am to get to Aircraft station, which is only eight kilometres away, but now I leave at 6.20. The traffic on Point Cook Road has reached saturation; we’re all in the same position and we’re all leaving home earlier.”
Mr Afxentis said that while VicRoads had no plans to duplicate Point Cook Road, it was seeking to identify future requirements in Wyndham.
To ease congestion, Point Cook residents would get a direct road link to the new Williams Landing railway station, a $24million extension of the Palmers Road overpass beyond the Princess Freeway and across the Werribee rail line, he said.
