$769.7 million to improve roads and tackle congestion

The Brumby Labor Government is taking action on roads, injecting $769.7 million to build new roads, improve the safety of the road network and reduce congestion.

Roads and Ports Minister, Tim Pallas said roads were key to Victoria’s economic and social development – ensuring efficient freight movement, creating jobs and enhancing the liveability of our towns and suburbs.

“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to make our roads safer and tackle congestion to drive the economy, jobs and liveability in communities across the State,” Mr Pallas

“This $769.7 million State Budget roads package comes on top of the $2.8 billion worth of major road projects currently underway, including the Deer Park Bypass, the Calder Freeway and the Geelong Ring Road.”

The 2008-09 State Budget roads and congestion package includes:

• $363 million for the Monash-CityLink-West Gate Upgrade;
• $224 million to upgrade rural and regional roads;
• $85.3 million for outer metropolitan road improvements;
• $46.6 million for road based congestion measures;
• $27.3 million in additional road maintenance funding;
• $16 million to improve response times and service performance at VicRoads customer service centres; and
• $7.5 million for the tender process to build a new licensing and registration system for VicRoads.

Some of the projects funded under the $224 million rural and road package include:

• $110 million towards the duplication of the Princes Hwy West from Waurn Ponds to Winchelsea to cater for increased car and truck travel, and improve travel time and reliability;
• $40 million to build a new duplicated section of the Western Hwy from Melton to Bacchus Marsh to improve safety and travel times;
• $9 million towards the Yarra Glen Truck Bypass – a $15 million project with a $5.5 million contribution from the Federal Government and $500,000 from the Yarra Ranges Shire Council.

Mr Pallas said the rural road projects were listed for funding under the Auslink 2 Program and the Brumby Labor Government would work with the Rudd Government to deliver these projects.

The $85.3 million outer metropolitan road improvements include:

• $36.8 million to upgrade the intersection of Pound Rd, South Gippsland Hwy and South Gippsland Fwy, Dandenong, to improve safety and cater for population and freight growth;
• $48.5 million to duplicate Kororoit Creek Rd from Grieve Pde to Millers Rd at Hobson Bay, including a grade separation of the railway crossing and an on-road bicycle lane.

Mr Pallas said the Brumby Labor Government was also taking action to deal with congestion, brought about by strong economic growth.

“The Budget includes $46.6 million for road-based congestion initiatives, that form part of the Brumby Labor Government’s $112.7 million Keeping Melbourne Moving strategy,” Mr Pallas said.

The Keeping Melbourne Moving strategy includes measures to: standardise and increase enforcement of clearways within 10 kilometres of Melbourne’s CBD; extra priority to trams on arterial roads; more bicycle and walking paths; and better management of roadworks to avoid delays at peak times.

“On top of that package, there is an additional $363 million for the major upgrade of the Monash-CityLink-West Gate which will make the road safer and travel times more reliable for motorists,” Mr Pallas said.

Mr Pallas said the Government had funded 1500 road safety projects and upgraded over 1130 accident blackspots since 1999 – and before this Budget had committed a further $650 million for Arrive Alive II over the next 10 years for more road safety projects throughout Victoria.