The western section of the East West Link will emerge from underground “somewhere in Sunshine” according to Victorian premier Denis Napthine.
Spruiking the value of a second crossing for Melbourne at a meeting of LeadWest representatives and western suburbs councils last Monday in Footscray, Dr Napthine said final details would “depend on the bidders”.
“It’ll come along Footscray Road … it might even be an elevated road. Whether it goes down under the river, or goes over the river and then goes under… and then come out in Sunshine,” he said.
“And then it’ll be an at-level alignment from Sunshine, fundamentally along the Sunshine Road and virtually straight out to the Western Ring Road.
“The final alignment will depend on the bidders. They may want to tunnel a bit further or they may want to go a bit shorter with the tunnel.
“Once you get through Sunshine, it’s a pretty straight run out through the open space.
“We’re not looking to come up in Footscray. We’re talking about going under Geelong Road and well to the other side of Geelong Road and coming up somewhere in Sunshine.”
With the chance of land acquirement in Brooklyn, Dr Napthine said the link would be a boon for an area he likened to an “industrial wasteland”.
“That [Brooklyn] is an area that could do with some significant development,” he said.
“That land, which I was going to describe as an industrial wasteland, but that land has got enormous potential opportunities for job-creating activities.
“I think you’ll see significant development of that area.
“This will add value to some of the areas in Brooklyn and beyond that will become absolutely key components of our freight and infrastructure network of the future.”
Government offices could also be placed in Sunshine as it emerges as a National Employment Cluster.
“That’s a distinct possibility,” Dr Napthine said. “Sunshine would be ideally placed, given the development of the Sunshine station, the Airport rail link.”
Works are expected to begin on the western section of the East West Link in 2015.
