By Gladys Barreta
The City of Melton Council will be seeking further details on the Western Highway upgrades for works on Leakes Road in light of recent government funding commitments.
The Federal Government’s and Federal Opposition’s $1.1 billion commitment to upgrade the Western Highway between Caroline Springs and Melton has raised an opportunity for Council to prioritise these improvements.
Councillor Dr. Phillip Zada moved a motion at the March Council meeting, held on March 24, to seek clarity on the scope, timing, and prioritisation of works on the Leakes Road/Western Highway interchange.
Dr. Zada also requests that Councillors are prepared a briefing on the feasibility of installing a roundabout at the intersection of Westcott Parade and Leakes Road.
“While the Council has consistently advocated for the installation of traffic lights at this critical intersection, recent funding commitments for upgrades to the Western Highway present an opportunity to prioritise this long-overdue improvement,” Dr. Zada said.
Neil Whiteside, Director of City Delivery at Melton City Council, has told StarWeekly that Council will be engaging with the State Government on works to be undertaken as part of the Western Highway upgrade, including the investment impact for the interchange.
“Council is seeking further details on the Western Highway upgrades from both the Federal and State Governments, including the scope of works and delivery timeframes,” Cr. Whiteside said.
“Leakes Road carries approximately 14,500 vehicles per day, and traffic modelling commissioned by the Council indicates that this will increase to over 22,700 vehicles per day by 2031.
“With an additional 40,000 new residents expected to move into the area by 2046, the Leakes Road interchange will provide significant congestion and safety improvements.”
Leakes Road advocacy group member, Donna Southern said it’s really important that residents are given the transparency to know what’s going on in regards to the upgrades.
“It’s a matter of urgency that safety measures are applied on Leakes Road and we would like to see a response within the next couple of months.”
