THE state government’s drive for a diamond interchange joining Sneydes Road and the Princes Freeway could overshadow the long-running campaign for an interchange at Duncans Road, the opposition claims.
An application has been made for $20million of federal funding to cover half the cost of an interchange at Sneydes Road in Point Cook, with the state government and Wyndham Council to fund the shortfall.
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An interchange at Sneydes Road was earmarked as part of the required roadworks in the government’s plans to develop a new suburb of more than 2500 homes in Point Cook’s west.
But Tarneit Labor MP Tim Pallas accused the government of using Sneydes Road as a “smokescreen” to hide the fact it hadn’t allocated any money in last month’s budget to Wyndham’s roads and refused to commit funding to a diamond interchange at Duncans Road.
The proposed Duncans Road diamond interchange would have two new western ramps to provide direct access to the Maltby Bypass for those going to Geelong, and access to Duncans Road from the bypass for Melbourne-bound drivers. Estimates show it would cost $18million.
Mr Pallas said there was “no harm” in asking the federal government to chip in for half the project, but questioned how serious the state government was about funding an arterial road interchange.”Of all the things we need the federal government to fund a second river crossing and east-west link are probably more important.”
But Cr John Menegazzo said interchanges at Duncans and Sneydes roads were a “different kettle of fish”. “[The state government] is obviously keen to see the Point Cook West development go ahead and they’ve seen it needs to be a priority at the moment because the council has said it’s certainly against new residential subdivisions without projects like this put in place first.”
Wyndham Transport Advisory chairman Jim Giddings said while a Sneydes Road interchange would have obvious benefits, an interchange at Duncans Road should be the priority project.
