New transport plan for Victoria

The Victorian state government today revealed its long-range strategy for road and public transport infrastructure. Funding for the projects will be shared by commonwealth and state governments, with some of the juicier projects outlined submitted to Infrastructure Australia, but not approved as yet.

As far as roads are concerned, the plan aims to improve traffic flow around Melbourne and its suburbs, with some additional roadworks mooted for regional areas also.

Within the next two years, the state government plans to construct the Dingley Arterial road, connecting to the major arterial, Springvale Road. This project will facilitate easier commuting from the dormitory areas of Casey and Cardinia to commercial areas closer to the city.

During the same timeframe, the notorious Nunawading level crossing on Springvale Road will be separated as the government has already done further up the line at Middleborough Road. Other 'grade-separation' projects will follow, as part of a $440 million program.

Work will commence on the Mornington Peninsula's 'Peninsula Link', which connects EastLink at Carrum Downs with the suburb of Mount Martha. This project alone will cost $750 million for the four-lane carriageway and is expected to alleviate "chronic congestion" in the beachside suburb of Frankston.

Additionally, within the two-year time frame, Calder Freeway duplication works and the Deer Park bypass will be completed, with work to commence on the Geelong Ring Road.

Beyond the initial two-year timeframe, the state government has submitted to Infrastructure Australia a number of additional elements, including a connection between the city's Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway, a tunnel under Melbourne's western suburbs to Footscray Road near Docklands, to relieve congestion on the Westgate Bridge, a truck action plan to reduce heavy commercial vehicle traffic through residential areas of the inner western suburbs and improved freight access to the Port of Melbourne from the Westgate Freeway.

For those who live in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and need to drive to the airport on a regular basis, the government is aiming to connect the Metropolitan Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway, via a 'missing link' that will cost $6 billion and will be routed through tunnels in places to preserve the amenity of the local environment. This link will join the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen with the ring road at Greensborough.

For a total cost budgeted at $38 billion, the plan will also address public transport issues, bring employees closer to their workplaces, promote greener car usage and other transport-related measures that are hoped to improve the quality of living in Melbourne.

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