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One Gippsland advocates for key road projects to boost safety, freight efficiency, and reduce congestion

One Gippsland seeks government support for four key road projects to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve freight efficiency, ensuring better connections for Gippsland's industries and growing communities.

By news@gippsland - 19th December 2024 - Back to News

One Gippsland will step up efforts to secure government support for four key roads projects to boost safety, cut congestion and maximise freight efficiency. One Gippsland spokesperson Cr Scott Rossetti said the organisation had a list of priority projects needing government funding. "The duplication of the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale is a landmark project and construction work is wrapping up after around 14 years," Cr Rossetti said.

Pictured was Mayor Scott Rossetti - One Gippsland pushes for funding to deliver four key road projects, improving safety, reducing congestion, and enhancing freight efficiency

Future freight focus

Cr Rossetti also said, "The duplication will deliver for Gippsland in terms of transport safety and efficiency. Now it's time to get work started on the next wave of projects needed to build on those gains." Each year, 163 tonnes of freight travels through the national transport network for every Australian. From 2020 to 2050, that volume is expected to increase by 26 percent and road freight is forecast to rise by 77 percent.

"Our growing industries, including food and fibre production and renewable energy generation, will increase pressure on the local freight network. We need to continue to invest in road infrastructure that will handle the increasing movement of goods around and through our region," Cr Rossetti said.

Priority road projects

One Gippsland has identified four road projects key to improving safety and efficiencies across the region's freight network. They are:

• San Remo Road Infrastructure Improvements - $28 million
• Sale Alternate Truck Route - $60 million
• Leongatha Heavy Vehicle Alternate Route Stage 2 - $1.5 million (planning and design)
• Drouin and Warragul Arterial Road Network - $3 million (planning)

Cr Rossetti said heavy vehicles needed to be re-routed around several Gippsland towns and infrastructure improvements were required to deal with growing populations.

Safer freight routes

Cr Rossetti said, "Bypasses and heavy vehicle routes will divert trucks away from pedestrian areas and the commercial heart of numerous towns, which keeps people safer and our streets more attractive, while allowing freight to reach its destination more safely, with fewer delays and at lower cost."

"There are also parts of our region which are growing rapidly and upgrades are needed urgently to deal with the increased activity on roads that are heavily bottlenecked. The future economic success of our existing industries and many new ones relies on the strength of the supply chains that connect Gippsland to distribution centres and to air and seaports."

"We want produce and other goods to travel from Gippsland along the safest, most direct route with easy connections to ports, including those in Melbourne, Hastings and Barry Beach, as well as airports in Melbourne and Avalon," Cr Rossetti said.

Gippsland road upgrades

One Gippsland will advocate for these projects for funding consideration by the Victorian and Federal Governments as part of its budgetary process for the 2025-26 financial year.

San Remo Road Infrastructure Improvements - $28 million

This project involves road infrastructure improvements in the San Remo township at the Back Beach Road intersection to reduce congestion during peak periods. The works include the installation of traffic signals, intersection improvements, and work to maintain the stability along the Western Port Bay embankment to protect the transport corridor.

Sale Alternate Truck Route - $60 million

This route around Sale is a faster, more economic route for vehicles traveling between Melbourne and East Gippsland and avoids traffic delays and intersections in Sale. The bypass cannot accommodate large heavy vehicles such as b-doubles and Over Size Over Mass (OSOM) vehicles as the route passes across two load-limited bridges which can only support vehicles up to the size of a semi-trailer. Bridge strengthening work is underway.

This project includes upgrades to Myrtlebank Road, Myrtlebank-Fulham Road, and Sale-Heyfield Road. Government funding has been allocated to this project and $60 million is sought to complete it.

Leongatha Heavy Vehicle Alternate Route Stage 2 - $1.5 million (planning and design)

Leongatha experiences significant traffic congestion and safety issues caused by the South Gippsland Highway and Bass Coast/Strzelecki Highway passing through the centre of the town. The first stage of this project to divert heavy vehicles away from the centre of Leongatha was finished in 2016.

Two million dollars is sought for detailed planning and design work to begin on the next stage. Stage two will complete the main town centre bypass, improve freight and visitor traffic movements, and address safety and accessibility issues.

Drouin and Warragul Arterial Road Network - $3 million (planning)

This project will address long-standing road network issues that take main aerial roads and agricultural routes through the commercial centres of Warragul and Drouin causing congestion, transport inefficiencies and holding back commercial investment.

Funding is sought to undertake a business case to determine how to best reduce congestion in the two towns, efficiently transport goods from Gippsland to key freight hubs, and investigate heavy vehicle routes around Warragul and Drouin.

United for Gippsland

One Gippsland is a peak regional advocacy body representing Gippsland. It is the combined voice for Gippsland communities to address regional issues and advocates for state and federal government policies and programs that support economic prosperity through innovation, facilitation and education.

Gippsland is a geographically, socially and economically diverse region and is home to more than 270,000 people, six local governments and produces $14 billion in gross regional product annually. One Gippsland works to make connections between government, business and the community, while also working collectively to champion the interest of our region and our people.

The members of One Gippsland are:

• Bass Coast Shire Council
• Baw Baw Shire Council
• Destination Gippsland
• East Gippsland Shire Council
• Federation University
• Food and Fibre Gippsland
• Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation
• Latrobe City Council
• South Gippsland Shire Council
• TAFE Gippsland
• Wellington Shire Council

Pictures from One Gippsland website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com