MOTORISTS in the west could be waiting up to a decade before a second river crossing is built, according to regional lobby group LeadWest.
The state government last week announced it would spend $294 million over two years to begin building the eastern section of the east-west link. The decision disappointed LeadWest and western suburbs councils which had been lobbying for the western end to be built first.
LeadWest chief executive Anton Mayer said prioritising the eastern section of the 18-kilometre road project meant the west would be waiting until at least 2020 for a second river crossing. “The community will have to live with the impact of extra truck movements in the west unless other projects are introduced.”
Maribyrnong Truck Action Group president Samantha MacArthur said the project was a disaster for the west regardless of which end was built first, unless other infrastructure was also in place. “It won’t do anything to alleviate truck traffic and may just make everything worse, especially for those in West Footscray. A tunnel will only work in conjunction with a truck bypass.”
Western Metropolitan Liberal MP Andrew Elsbury defended the decision to fund the eastern section first, saying it would benefit the west by diverting traffic from the M1 corridor.
