Melton council has been accused of putting money ahead of lives and infrastructure by refusing to duplicate Bulmans Road.
While the council is installing a roundabout at the intersection of Bulmans Road and Sovereign Boulevard to address safety concerns, no other works are proposed for the busy area.
Melton West’s Greg Lewis said he was disappointed by the response he received from an engineer he saw helping construct the roundabout near Catholic Regional College.
“He said it [the duplication] would not be done because of money issues and was at least 10 years away,” Mr Lewis said.
“I asked what it would take for it to happen sooner, something like a serious accident, and he pretty much said it would be the only reason.
“He said the roundabout will be built to accommodate a dual carriageway, but the cost of moving power poles was preventing the duplication being done.’’
Council engineering services manager Les Stokes said duplication of the road was dependent on traffic volume.
“The current volume of Bulmans Road north of High Street is 13000 vehicles per day,” he said. “Generally, as roads reach volumes of 20,000 vehicles a day, duplication is required. Council has received [correspondence of] concern from residents around safety at the intersection of Bulmans Road and Sovereign Boulevard and this roundabout will address these concerns.’’
Mr Lewis said the council’s unwillingness to duplicate Bulmans Road was part of a bigger problem, with many residents feeling road infrastructure was being neglected.
