Hume council has lauded the federal government’s decision to fund the upgrade of Mickleham Road in Tuesday’s federal budget.
The budget contains $109.5 million for the road upgrade. Council and Greenvale residents have been lobbying the state and federal governments for funding to upgrade the road between Somerton and Craigieburn roads for a number of years.
According to council, traffic on Mickleham road has increased by 50 per cent over the last seven years.
While it is unknown if the federal cash injection will be enough to fund the entire duplication, council said it was excited the project had been included in the budget.
“Hume City Council is excited to see significant federal investment in the Mickleham Road upgrade, after calling for state and federal funding for this project over many years,” mayor Carly Moore said.
“Should the funding not be enough to get the road duplicated to Craigieburn Road, we will ramp up our efforts to call on the Victorian government to match the federal contribution and help relieve traffic congestion for the fast-growing communities of Melbourne’s north.”
Councillor Joseph Haweil also welcomed the funding.
“Living in the new housing estates along Mickleham Road with my family, I experience the frequent delays and traffic jams that cause our residents so much frustration,” he said.
“I welcome the announcement and am hopeful that a speedy upgrade will help our residents move more quickly and efficiently in the fast growing north, giving them more time to spend with family and friends.”
