Eddie Russell
Melton council will seek to double the amount of lanes on Ferris Road in an attempt to ease future congestion.
Council will write to the state government to seek the reclassification, declaration and duplication of the road as a matter of urgency.
Reclassifying and declaring the section of Ferris Road between Bridge Road and the Western Highway would mean it would become an arterial road and therefore the responsibility of the state government.
With the opening of Melton Hospital on Ferris Road in 2029, as well as already existing traffic, council forecasts an increased level of congestion will unfold unless more lanes are added to the single carriageway.
Councillor Sophie Ramsay said the investment was critical to ensuring that the road would not become a headache for drivers down the track.
“It is vital that these projects are futureproofed,” she said.
“I want to reduce redundant works and avoid more costly additions later by doing it properly the first time.”
Cr Ramsay said there had to be more thought put into big projects and not just with a quick fix in mind.
“The thing that I don’t get is… we seem to put the work in – and that’s not us [current council] – then we come back a couple years later and do it again,” she said.
“Our roads are at capacity at the moment… the duplication is a priority for each and every one of us.”
She noted the potential ramifications for paramedics as well as commuters if the road was not increased in size prior to the hospital’s completion.
“With the proposed hospital about to commence being built you are going to have ambulances piled up trying to get to it.”
The Melton Hospital will service 130,000 patients each year from Caroline Springs, Rockbank, Bacchus Marsh, and Melton and includes a 24-hour emergency department.
Construction is expected to commence this year.
The state government was contacted for comment.
