THE state government has ignored repeated advice to ease congestion on the West Gate Bridge by building the western end of the east-west link first.
A March 2011 report by the Linking Melbourne Authority, released under freedom of information last week, stated its preferred option was to complete a business case for the western section last year so funds could be allocated in the 2012 state budget.
Once constructed, the 18-kilometre road connection will join the Eastern Freeway, CityLink and the Western Ring Road. But planning for the Footscray-Port of Melbourne section had already been finalised under the previous government’s WestLink proposal.
The report, An Opportunity to Transform Melbourne, argued “the most important need is an alternative to the West Gate Bridge” and recommended the Footscray-Port of Melbourne section be made a priority.
“WestLink stage one is able to be procured and constructed some 24 months ahead of the alternative [Eastern Freeway to Tullamarine] and also provides the crucial alternative Maribyrnong River crossing,” the report stated.
It said construction could have begun by the start of 2013, while starting from the Eastern Freeway meant work could not begin until 2015.
In September, Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury called on Roads Minister Terry Mulder to consider the region’s critical transport needs.
But Mr Mulder said the government chose to plan the east-west link as a whole to fully understand its total cost and benefits, “not an isolated section as the opposition proposes”. “… we reviewed the western section of the project and found it failed to connect the freeway network and would merely funnel more traffic onto inner-west arterial roads such as Dynon and Footscray roads, creating greater congestion challenges.”
Tarneit Labor MP Tim Pallas said : “Instead of listening to the experts, the much-needed second Maribyrnong River crossing will be decades away under the Baillieu government.”
