Traffic chaos fears

By Alison Noonan
CRANBOURNE residents fear new changes to VicRoad’s plans for the duplication of Sladen Street will cause traffic chaos.
Sladen Park residents have been embroiled in a long-running battle with VicRoads over access agreements at the intersection of O’Tooles Road and Sladen Street.
Locals opposed VicRoads’ initial plans to block motorists from performing a right-hand turn at O’Tooles Road, instead making a u-turn at a new set of traffic lights at the Cemetary Road/Fairbairn Road intersection.
They were presented with an alternative option at a recent public meeting for the construction of a u-turn 50 metres west of O’Tooles Road.
The majority of residents voted in favour of the amended plan.
However, Sladen Park Residents Action Group member Ken Leemon said locals were forced into this decision and still held grave concerns over the proposal.
“The claims that there was overwhelming support for the amended proposal are misleading,” he said.
“A Sladen Park resident submitted another amended plan to VicRoads of moving the proposed u-turn to a location further west of O’Tooles Road to allow sufficient distance for large passenger vehicles and regular traffic to negotiate a u-turn.
“VicRoads accepted this proposal in principle and said they would get back to us. Three weeks later and we have heard nothing.”
Mr Leemon said the lack of a right-hand turn would result in disaster for the hundreds of cars and buses that use the soccer club on the weekend.
“To go out of the estate on a Saturday afternoon can be quite frightening. The traffic is often banked from the top of the hill right down Sladen Street. It will be an accident waiting to happen.
“But VicRoads is not listening to the local people,” he said.
Mr Leemon said residents would also fight VicRoads’ plans to close the service lane off Sladen Street.
He said locals had exited the estate through the service lane for 25 years and its closure would severely restrict property owners.
“They haven’t advised anyone of the closure, which will seriously impact motorists from the eastern part of Sladen Park Estate.
“Additionally there are residents who are confined to wheelchairs and their only access to nearby shops on Lurline Street is along the service lane as there are no footpaths,” he said.
“We are being ignored by VicRoads. The general consensus of Sladen Park Estate Residents is the silence is deafening.”