By Tate Papworth
The Calder Freeway will become Melbourne’s second most congested road during morning peaks by 2031, according to a report by Infrastructure Australia.
The report states the freeway is struggling to meet demand from outer growth areas and in 2016 was the seventh most congested road in Melbourne during morning peak periods and ninth in evening peak.
By 2031, the Calder is expected to be the second most congested road in the morning peak and the third most congested in the evenings.
Brimbank council has long held concerns about the freeway.
Mayor Lucinda Congreve believes upgrades are desperately needed.
“Council welcomed the federal government’s commitment to fund up to $50 million to upgrade the Calder, but if we are serious about the needs of the communities in Australia’s fastest-growing region, we need action and real dollars,” she said.
“We need modern and reliable infrastructure. At a recent meeting I had with Federal Minister for Cities and Population, Alan Tudge, I highlighted that local, state and federal government have to come together to help address congestion across the west.”
Cr Congreve said it was vital the Calder was up to scratch by the time construction on the Sunshine Super Hub began.
“The Melbourne Airport Rail Link and the Sunshine Super Hub projects have the potential to radically improve transport connections across Melbourne,” she said. “It is critical that we get a working group established to look at job, business and social procurement opportunities during the construction and post construction for this project.
“We want an integrated transport plan for the west that considers all of the actions needed to get the west moving.
“If we get these projects, in particular the precinct work around the Sunshine Super Hub, right we can become the capital of the west in terms of business, jobs, education, and social opportunities.
“Plain and simple, more jobs in Sunshine will mean less congestion.”
