Liam McNally
A Melton road has been named as one of the most concerning roads in Melbourne in a recent RACV survey.
The My Melbourne Road Survey asked more than 5000 motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and public transport users about their safety concerns of Melbourne’s transport network.
The Western Freeway, between Hopkins Road and the Melton Highway, received the 10th most responses out of all roads in Melbourne.
The main issues raised in the responses were that two lanes are insufficient to service the major growth area, there is an absence of adequate merging lanes and overall road quality is insufficient for demand.
Michelle Hansford is a Melton resident of over 35 years who said she was not surprised by the results.
“… But even if it was number one, I don’t think the government would do anything about it anyway. It’s been that way for such a long time,” she said.
Ms Hansford has had family members involved in four car accidents on the freeway in the last two years.
Most recently, she said her son had a new work van he uses for his small business written off after he swerved to avoid a collision in front of him and sideswiped a truck.
“There’s accidents all the time, there’s new estates all along it but still nothing has been done,” she said.
Melton council has been advocating for upgrades to the Western Freeway, with suggestions laid out in its 2022 Moving Melton Prospectus.
The prospectus states that the Western Freeway currently carries over 77,000 vehicles per day, and by 2031 it is expected to jump to 110,000 a day.
The prospectus recommends an upgrade to urban freeway standard from Melton to Deer Park, with additional lanes and upgraded interchanges as well as a new pedestrian and cycling path along the Western Highway.
The prospectus estimated these upgrades will cost $1.3 billion.
The state and federal governments have each allocated $10 million for a business case to investigate upgrade options for the road which is under development and set for completion in late 2024.
The state government was contacted for comment.
