By Laura Michell
A petition calling for a solution to Kalkallo and Donnybrook’s traffic woes has been signed by more than 1000 people since launching one week ago.
The petition, which will be tabled in state Parliament later this year, calls on the Legislative Assembly to undertake roadworks to improve the traffic flow at the Donnybrook Road-Mitchell Street roundabout to alleviate the congestion experienced by residents in Kalkallo and Donnybrook.
As reported by Star Weekly, residents of Kalkallo’s Cloverton estate, are experiencing extensive delays when exiting the estate in the morning as a result of traffic on nearby Donnybrook Road.
With vehicles travelling from Mickleham to the Hume Freeway given right of way at the Donnybrook Road-Mitchell Street roundabout, motorists coming from Kalkallo and Donnybrook are being left to sit in long lines of traffic.
Major Road Projects Victoria recently placed temporary traffic lights at the roundabout in response to increased congestion as a result of the closure of the intersection of Mickleham and Craigieburn roads.
Residents say that while the temporary lights are welcomed, they need a permanent solution, such as an upgrade to the roundabout to include a left-turn lane to the Hume Freeway from Donnybrook Road.
Kalkallo resident Ally Watson spearheaded the petition, which has been sponsored by Yuroke MP Ros Spence. Ms Watson said it was time something was done to ease the congestion.
“People are really angry,” she said.
“The petition is one thing we can do to try and bring it to the attention of local MPs and Parliament.”
Ms Watson said people were reporting that the congestion was adding up to an hour to their morning commute.
She believes working from home restrictions have “masked” the problem and fears the delays will increase when more people return to the office next week.
Ms Watson said the single exit from the Cloverton estate and the fact that Donnybrook Road is single-lane on the Kalkallo side of the roundabout was compounding the problem.
“The road infrastructure for Donnybrook Road is just not sustaining the traffic,” she said.
A spokesperson for Stockland, the developer of Cloverton, said the company was mindful of the traffic congestion residents are experiencing during peak periods along Donnybrook Road.
“Stockland is working closely with [Hume] council and relevant state agencies to progress a number of traffic solutions as soon as possible including a secondary access point to the community via a bridge onto Donnybrook Road,” the spokesperson said.
“We are also working with the Department of Transport on a dedicated left-turn lane onto the Hume Freeway at the Mitchell Street roundabout, as well as exploring some other temporary measures for addressing traffic congestion in the shorter term. .“We understand the importance of key road infrastructure in meeting the growing needs of the community and are committed to working proactively and constructively with the authorities to ensure this issue is addressed.”
The Department of Transport is examining traffic flow at the roundabout.
“We continuously explore ways to make our roads safer and create smoother journeys – including along Donnybrook Road,” a department spokesperson said.
“We are currently considering options to improve traffic flow in this fast-growing area, working with local stakeholders.”
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