By Derek Schlennstedt
The Federal Government announced on 15 April that $110 million will go towards funding the duplication of Wellington Road.
The thoroughfare, between Napoleon Road and Berwick Road, carries more than 10,000 vehicles per day and serves as a critical link between the Casey and Cardinia regions.
Member for La Trobe Jason Wood has been lobbying for improvements to the road, and in 2007 committed $10 million in funding toward overtaking lanes along the major arteriole.
The funding announcement comes only a month after a fatal collision at the intersection of Wellington road and Berwick road.
Speaking to the Mail, Mr Wood said this funding will help to improve the safety of the road.
“This is now a really dangerous road,” he said.
“Sadly also locally in the last 6 months we’ve had two serious fatalities along here.
“I’ve always been focussed on fixing Wellington Road, and back in 2007 I committed $10M for overtaking lanes, but in 2010 Labor came to power and diverted the funding.”
Mr Wood also made note of using the road in emergency situations particularly- bushfires.
“With the recent Gembrook fires it became apparent to me that the evacuation of residents in Gembrook, Cockatoo and Emerald would have been exceptionally dangerous if the fire had travelled West – as Wellington Road is only one lane.”
“If those fires had travelled toward the west this would have been the only way for residents to leave via wellington road.”
Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, Alan Tudge, said the funding was part of a package that would see roads in the area improved.
“We’ve got $110 million to spend on this road which will enable its duplication and to fix up some of the really dangerous intersections like this one where at on the corner of Harkaway road,” Mr Tudge said.
“It’s part of an overall package to fix up roads in this area.”
