‘Nightmare’ road plans slammed

Alison Noonan
FRUSTRATED Cranbourne residents have rallied in opposition to VicRoads plans for the duplication of Sladen Street.
About 50 locals attended a public meeting at the Cranbourne Soccer Club last week to discuss their concerns over VicRoads designs for the intersection of O’Tooles Road and Sladen Street.
Organised by the Sladen Park Residents Action Group, the meeting enlightened residents to the fact that traffic would be blocked from turning right into Cranbourne Town Centre via O’Tooles Road if traffic lights were installed at the Cemetery Road/Fairbairn Road intersection.
Sladen Park Residents Action Group member Ken Leighman last week told the News that by forcing all traffic to turn left at busy O’Tooles Road, to proceed to the inside of the west bound lane and make a Uturn at the new traffic lights, VicRoads was creating a traffic nightmare.
Casey councillor Kevin Bradford agreed, saying VicRoads’s proposal was both impractical and unsafe.
He presented a 56signature petition to Tuesday night’s council meeting and said a more suitable design was needed.
“The recent public meeting pointed out to residents exactly what the proposed duplication is going to mean to them.
“The Sladen Park Residents Action Group put up an alternate proposal for the intersection of O’Tooles Road and Sladen Street that would allow motorists to turn both right and left.
“The residents were right behind the idea and agreed that the VicRoads proposal is totally unsafe and inconvenient,” he said.
Cr Bradford said residents met with council officers and VicRoads representatives on Tuesday to present their alternative proposal.
He said VicRoads had taken their ideas on board.
Project manager for South Eastern Projects Charlie Broadhurst said VicRoads was working closely with Casey Council to address the issue.