By Brendan Rees
Major upgrades to Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road in Cranbourne has been unveiled as part of a $2.2 billion State Budget commitment.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan joined VicRoads Regional Director Aidan McGann and Labor candidate for Cranbourne Pauline Richards, in making the announcement in Cranbourne on Wednesday 2 May, saying the project will “fix local roads and get people home sooner.”
A four-kilometre section of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road will be duplicated between Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway, from one lane to two lanes in each direction to slash congestion for more than 33,000 vehicles which rely on this road each day.
The existing Berwick-Cranbourne Road roundabout will be upgraded to traffic lights and there’ll be new traffic lights at the intersection with the South Gippsland Highway.
There’ll be further intersection upgrades along the road and new shared walking and cycling paths.
The works will be part of the Andrews Labor Government’s Suburban Roads Upgrade – the biggest investment in suburban roads in Victoria’s history – to fix 22 key suburban arterials and create more than 4,200 jobs.
As part of the Suburban Roads Upgrade package, several other key routes through Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs will be upgraded including the roundabouts at Thompsons Road/Frankston-Dandenong Road and Thompsons Road/Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road which will be replaced with traffic lights.
Widening Pound Road West/Remington Drive, Hampton Park from two to four lanes between Abott’s Road and South Gippsland Highway, including a new bridge over the Cranbourne line was also listed under the package.
Member for Cranbourne Jude Perera said the duplication of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road would improve journeys and reliability through Cranbourne.
“By upgrading Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road, we’re offering a real alternative for north-south travellers and significantly improving access to the south east’s freeway network,” he said.
Shadow Minister for Roads and Infrastructure David Hodgett said the Andrews Government could not be trusted as they had three and a half years to fund this project.
He said Mr Andrews was in a “desperate bid” to win votes in the lead up to the November State Election, and was now “splashing around the cash on road projects.”
“People won’t be fooled by Daniel Andrews. Only the Liberal Nationals will eliminate red light intersections, while under Daniel Andrews you’ll be stuck in congestion for longer.”
