By Rowan Forster
Latrobe MP Jason Wood has lodged a formal request with the Federal Government to bankroll a grade separation at McGregor Road, eliminating Pakenham’s most notorious level crossing.
The project, estimated to cost approximately $130 million, would be co-funded by a Liberal State Government if given the tick of approval by Minister Alan Tudge and PM Scott Morrison.
McGregor Road would be redeveloped to include either an overpass or an underpass – depending on the findings of planning procedures.
Mr Wood aims to have the cash secured by the New Year.
“I’m aiming to have an announcement, if I can convince those around me, by the end of the year,” he said.
“The whole McGregor Road needs to be fixed up.
“It’s an absolute nightmare and it’s bad for local residents and bad for business.”
It comes during Star News Group’s Unblock the Gridlock campaign, highlighting the plight of road infrastructure and crippling congestion across Melbourne’s south east.
Reader nominations reveal McGregor Road is the most egregious arterial in Pakenham, second to Clyde Road of all roads in Cardinia, Casey and Greater Dandenong.
The Latrobe incumbent claimed Clyde Road was the perfect example of how the Labor State Government’s complacency has led to gridlock traffic.
“In 2007 and 2010, we made an election commitment to do a grade separation on Clyde Road,” he said.
“We lost government for that period so Labor came along and rather than do the grade separation, they just widened it.
“Let’s not make the same mistake that the State Government has on Clyde Road.”
The grade separation would come on top of the Guy Government’s $20 million pledge to duplicate McGregor Road and install new on and off ramps at the Pakenham Bypass.
While nearby residents lauded the State Opposition’s commitment, their ultimate desire was for a level crossing removal.
“I’m not an engineer but I think it would be possible to go over or under on McGregor Road,” Lynley Baker said.
“It would definitely have huge benefits.”
To date, neither the State Labor Government nor Federal Labor Opposition has made a commitment for McGregor Road.
If Daniel Andrews emerges victorious in November, the State Government would need to provide half of the funding for the project.
Commuters have aired their grievances travelling on McGregor Road, describing it as “one of the worst bottlenecks in Victoria”.
“Last week the traffic was stuck while three trains crossed at McGregor Road and it took about 15 minutes before the gates even opened,” Clarke Morton said.
“The traffic was banked back to the Princes Highway and cars were getting stuck in the intersection because they had nowhere to turn.
“I think it took about 20 minutes to get from Pakenham High to the freeway.”
Despite accommodating approximately 12,000 cars per day, McGregor Road didn’t make it into the Victorian Government’s highly publicised level crossing removal program.
Overton Road, Frankston – despite having a daily traffic count of just 4000 cars – underwent a grade separation.
