Assistance sought for upgrade of Dohertys Road to accommodate growing freight volumes
By Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi | September 9, 2013
A Melbourne council is calling on the transport industry to help lobby the Victorian Government to upgrade a route in the city’s west to accommodate growing freight volumes.
Wyndham City Council has earlier this year launched a campaign called ‘Fix Dohertys Road’, calling for duplication of a single-lane route in Laverton North’s industrial precinct from Fitzgerald Road to Grieve Parade.
Its Infrastructure Directorate Director, Maurice Stabb, says the council is keen to work with the industry to make it happen.
Speaking at last week’s Freight Week event, he says the council has allocated $1 million in the 2013/14 budget towards the road.
The area has the highest commercial freight density in the country and is home to 460 businesses that employ more than 30,000 staff.
More money is needed to fix the route, which was designed and constructed some 30 years ago when the area was made up of mostly empty paddocks.
“We have a major problem; the State Government took allocated money from the Dohertys Road project and haven’t put the money back,” Stabb says.
“We now have a project which is a major arterial road in the freight hub of metropolitan Melbourne and the result is that we can’t get it funded.
“Whilst VicRoads has said that this is an absolute priority and it ticks all of the boxes, the reality is we can’t get any money for it.”
Until the road is fixed, drivers need to take better care when on the road due to its crumbling state, Stabb says.
“I get complaint after complaint from our community about the damages being caused by drivers who are either too lazy or haven’t got the skills and are simply putting our assets at risk,” he adds.
“The cost to operate at that (Dohertys Road) intersection is significant; any time we go…and fix up a drainage tip we’re talking six figures minimum.”
