Gerald Lynch
The Ashley Street underpass in West Footscray has been labelled “totally insufficient”, as summer flooding poses problems for pedestrians.
Local resident Norman Hermant voiced his concerns with the underpass, saying there are multiple issues contributing to the underutilised space.
“The underpass is totally insufficient for pedestrians,“ he said.
“There is no bike path, it’s just miserable down there.
“The flooding of the underpass is unfortunately nothing new, it has been ongoing for years.
“Tottenham station looks great and it is well-upgraded, but I suppose when they did it up they just didn’t think about access.
“It is the only way over or under the train tracks for at least five kilometres, from West Footscray all the way to Sunshine.”
The dark and dreary underpass isn’t just rough on the eye, the public perception is that you wouldn’t want to be spending too much time in there after dark.
“It’s for sure intimidating, I am a pretty big guy but even I would be reluctant to use it at night,” Mr Hermant admitted.
In a 2018 West Footscray Neighbourhood Plan, there was a commitment by the state government and VicTrack to widen the Ashley Street underpass to ‘create safe and inviting walking and cycling paths’.
The project was listed as having an ongoing timeframe.
Maribyrnong council chief executive Celia Haddock said council is responsible for the underpass footpath, and has arranged for the path to be cleaned each morning, while the water pooling continues.
“Council is aware of ongoing challenges… it appears this is the result of rainfall from the previous four weeks, with water building up behind the bridge wall and flowing onto the footpath,“ she said.
“We continue to work with the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) which maintains the road, and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) which manages and maintains the rail land, bridge and walls, to report and action maintenance requests in a timely manner to ensure the underpass and its surrounds are safe for all road users.“
A DTP spokesperson said the area is constantly monitored to ensure safety.
“The Ashley Street underpass is inspected at least once a week to ensure it remains safe,“ the spokesperson said.
“We inspected the underpass on Wednesday, January 17 following heavy rain and completed works to clear drains and sweep the road to reduce the impact of extreme weather.”
