With up to 10,300 more trucks a day predicted to use Millers Road by 2031 under the West Gate Tunnel project, Hobsons Bay council is gearing up its campaign to protect its roads.
The traffic impact assessment in the Environmental Effects Statement (ESS) released last week predicts an increase of up to 14,800 trucks a day by 2031, compared to 4500 trucks a day now, at Altona North and Brooklyn.
The increase will result from the introduction of a new truck toll on the freeway combined with a total truck ban on current truck routes to the port north of the freeway.
Asked to respond to concerns about the projected truck increase in Hobsons Bay, Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said Millers Road was designed to carry large numbers of trucks and heavy volumes of traffic.
“We’ve listened to the community every step of the way on this project, delivering the 24/7 truck bans that the inner west has been calling for to make residential streets safer and quieter,” he said.
Hobsons Bay mayor Sandra Wilson said the council was concerned about the impact on Millers Road and surrounding arterials including Blackshaws Road, Hudsons Road, High Street, Mason Street and Kororoit Creek Road.
“The truck bans in the City of Maribyrnong are a great result for that part of the inner west, but it is only a part of the solution and the flow-on impacts on Hobsons Bay from those bans and toll avoidance need to be taken into account,” she said.
“We need to make sure that controls are put in place to protect our local roads.
“We are calling on the state government to work with us over the next 12 months on a regional assessment study and action plan that would prevent trucks and even more traffic spilling into Hobsons Bay.”
