Four of the north’s most congested intersections will be removed and replaced with underpasses if the Liberal Party wins next year’s state election.
Last week, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy unveiled plans to remove more than 50 of Melbourne’s most congested intersections by replacing traffic lights and roundabouts with grade separations.
Under the proposal, three intersections in Hume and one in Whittlesea will be removed.
Close to 77 per cent of residents in both municipalities commute to work by car.
Gladstone Park’s Mickleham and Broadmeadows roads roundabout was included in the plan, as well as the intersection of Sydney Road and Cooper Street in Somerton, and Sydney and Mahoneys roads in Campbellfield.
The intersection of Plenty and McDonalds roads in South Morang was also earmarked for removal.
Mr Guy said the plan would cost between $4.1 -$5.3 billion.
The intersections will be removed by the state government’s Level Crossing Removal Authority, which will be renamed the Intersection Removal Authority.
Mr Guy said 30 of the intersections would be removed within the first four years in government, with the remaining 25 to be removed in the following term.
He said the preference was for lights and roundabouts to be replaced with underpasses, however community and councils will have a say in determining the final designs.
“Removing these suburban congestion hotspots will make our roads safer and keep traffic flowing, which means less time spent sitting in gridlock and more time at home with family and friends,” Mr Guy said.
“It also means people like tradies, couriers and salespeople who use the roads to get between jobs will be able to do so more quickly. That’s good for business and good for jobs.”
Hume council sustainable infrastructure and services Peter Waite said the council needed more information before it could support the plan. “We would need to consider how the proposed works to modify these intersections would impact local homes, businesses, pedestrians and cyclists,” he said.
“We would also need clear evidence that grade separation is the right answer, and whether it would be cost effective.”
Mr Waite said the council would like both parties to commit to the duplications of Craigieburn, Mickleham, Somerton and Sunbury roads to reduce congestion.
