Minister hits bypass head on

By Sarah Schwager
CRANBOURNE al-ready has the bypass it needs, according to Victorian Transport Minister Peter Batchelor.
The comment came at the announcement on Monday of funding for the continued duplication of Berwick-Cranbourne Road between Pound Road and Thompsons Road in Cranbourne North.
Mr Batchelor said the $17 million funding boost was the next stage of the duplication between the Princes Freeway at Berwick and the South Gippsland Highway.
“We are building the Cranbourne Bypass that Cranbourne needs and this is the best road option for the job,” Mr Batchelor said, referring to Berwick-Cranbourne Road.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said while any money the State Government spent on roads was much appreciated, Berwick-Cranbourne Road was merely a ‘Band-Aid bypass’.
“Hopefully, VicRoads and the State Government will review the 1999 study which is now very much out of line with current circumstances,” Cr Bradford said.
The land for Casey Council’s proposed Cranbourne Bypass, which would stretch 1.2 kilometres from the South Gippsland Highway to Cameron Street, has been set aside since 1963.
The City of Casey has been lobbying for the bypass for more than 10 years but it is only in the past six months that there has been a designated campaign.
At the announcement, Mr Batchelor said the Berwick-Cranbourne Road project also helped improve safety in the outer south-east.
“This project is important to not only the local community but also has region-wide significance because of its role as the Cranbourne Bypass,” he said.
“The duplication will improve traffic flow in the area and greatly improve safety, mobility and access for residents and motorists who travel between Berwick, Cranbourne and the surrounding areas,” he said.
The funding is part of the State Government’s Meeting Our Transport Challenges plan.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera said the funding would provide four lanes of high-quality road for local residents and businesses.
“This stretch of road we are duplicating has seen 19 casualty crashes, including one fatality, over the past five years and this funding will help reduce these figures dramatically,” Mr Perera said.
The project also includes bicycle lanes and a roundabout at Thompsons Road.