HUME: Call for Somerton Rd upgrade
Northern Metropolitan MLC Evan Mul-holland has called on the State Government to urgently duplicate Somerton Rd and upgrade the dangerous Roxburgh Park Drive intersection
Mr MNulholland condemning what he describes as decades of Labor’s ongoing neglect of Melbourne’s north.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr Mulholland urged the Minister for Roads and Roads Safety [Melissa Horne] to act on planning work completed by the Government in early 2023.
He said that nearly three years have passed with no commitment, no funding, and no progress, leaving the rapidly growing northern suburbs increasingly vulnerable and frustrated.
Mr Mulhollancd said residents are fed up with being stuck in traffic for hours and forced to navigate an intersection that places them at an unacceptable risk of being involved in an accident.
“The Labor Government continue to ignore the fact that accidents along Somerton Rd are becoming more frequent, near misses are becoming far too common, and the congestion has reached unacceptable levels,” Mr Mulholland said.
“If relevant authorities have identified the need for an upgrade along Somerton Rd, planning was completed in 2023, and residents have expressed concern, the question must be asked: what exactly is the government waiting for?
“The Minister rightly identified that growth in the bnorthern suburbs is placing increasing pressure on the road network, but nearly three years later and there is no commitment, no funding, and instead just more neglect of the north from this Labor Government,” Mr Mulholland said.