By Brendan Rees
A notorious road in Cranbourne West has Casey Council appealing to the State Government for an urgent upgrade.
At their 4 September meeting councillors voted to advocate for the State Government and Opposition to duplicate Hall Road as well as upgrade the intersections of Hall Road/Evans Road and Hall Road/Cranbourne-Frankston Road.
Councillor Sam Aziz said fixing Hall Road was an “absolute priority to ensure the safety of our community.”
However, VicRoads manager movement and safety in the Metro South East, Sasha Yarwood said “We’ve inspected the intersection at Hall Road and Evans Road and are considering whether an upgrade is needed.”
“We’ll continue to monitor the intersection to ensure it is safe for all drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” he said.
In a statement, VicRoads says it regularly reviewed requests from the community to consider safety improvements on the roads.
The Save Cranbourne West Residents Group (SCWRG) sought the help of consultants from Traffix Group in providing a report of crash data on Hall Road – which was submitted to council in August.
SCWRG president Ray Walker said Hall Road was a “nightmare” and just “getting out of hand.”
“Cranbourne West is one the fastest growing areas. It is dangerous (on Hall Road), particularly the Evans Road intersection,” he said.
“There have been nine serious accidents on Hall Road/ Evans Road this year which is over one a month – that qualifies as a black spot.”
“We looking to put some signs up on Hall Road – to fix Hall Road,” Mr Walker said.
Councillors also voted for developers to build signalised T-intersections for the Lochaven Estate (north of Hall Road) and Elysian Estate (south of Hall Road) in accordance with their subdivision permits.
However, a report before councillors says the developers of these estates have not been able to “reach agreement to share the cost of delivering the complete signalised cross-intersection.”
Cr Aziz said “I just want to see them (estate developers) and the State Government to cooperate to actually deliver the intersections so we’re not risking fatalities.”
Cranbourne West resident Heather Clayton says she often faced a wall of traffic on Hall Road with her commute to work in Wantirna.
She says once the Brompton Life Estate development in Cranbourne South was finished, “I know it’s only going to get worse.”
“Give it two years and you’re not going to be able to move around Hall Road.”
Ms Clayton says there was one morning she left home at 7.10am, only to come to a standstill at the Thompsons Road intersection on Hall Road at 7.45am.
“I want to leave Wantirna right on five o’clock and beat most of what I can,” Ms Clayton said.
She says it takes about 10-15 minutes from Lyndhurst to Hall Road. “That’s on a good night.”
