Wendy Lovell, Northern Victoria MLC, has called on has called Melissa Horne, Minister for Roads, to urgently prioritise the duplication of Donnybrook Rd, as local residents suffer a “traffic nightmare”.
“Donnybrook is exploding in population, and residents of the new housing estates along Donnybrook Rd are deeply frustrated with the Allan Labor Government’s lack of progress on upgrading Donnybrook Rd,” Ms Lovell said.
“Motorists leaving the Hume Freeway to join Donnybrook Rd must squeeze into a single turning lane in order to go over the single-lane flyover bridge and travel along the single-lane road to the east.
“At peak hour the volume of traffic is far too high to flow quickly, resulting in the exit lane from the Hume Fwy onto Donnybrook Rd being chronically congested.
“Traffic is regularly forced to back up in a long line stretching all the way back to and sometimes onto the freeway, which is incredibly dangerous and there have been many accidents at the spot.”
Ms Lovell spoke in Parliament to share the frustration of local residents, and ask the Minister for Roads to prioritise the duplication of Donnybrook Rd, including the duplication of the flyover bridge over the Hume Fwy, to alleviate the traffic problems.
She said that Donnybrook Railway Station received upgrades in 2023, and should be handling more passengers and taking commuter traffic off the road.
There are no buses going along Donnybrook Rd for residents of the new estates to catch to the railway station.
There is no continuous footpath or bike path along Donnybrook Rd to the station, which makes it extremely dangerous for both pedestrians and cyclists to get therefrom the new housing estates.
“The Allan Labor Government’s neglect of basic road infrastructure and public transport in Donnybrook is causing a traffic nightmare for residents, and it must act urgently before the area becomes unliveable, Mrs Lovell said.
“The urgent need for an upgrade of Donnybrook Rd has become a frequent topic of discussion at community meetings, and residents are trying to raise awareness but the State Labor Government is just not listening.
“The Minister for Roads and Roads Safety must take immediate steps to address these concerns and to prioritise the duplication of Donnybrook Rd,” Mrs Lovell said.