By ALESHA CAPONE
A HOBSONS Bay City Councillor has outlined a tunnel vision to battle traffic congestion caused by new housing developments.
Last week Cr Peter Hemphill spoke out about a proposal to allow up to 420 new homes at the former Caltex Terminal on Blackshaws Rd in South Kingsville.
A report into the proposal has recommended the council work with VicRoads to “urgently assess” the possible impact of the Caltex project and other housing developments on the capacity of Melbourne Rd.
Cr Hemphill said in addition to the Caltex proposal another 3000 homes could be built in Precinct 15 – a site bordered by the West Gate Freeway, New St, Blackshaws Rd and Kyle Rd in Altona North.
Cr Hemphill said to deal with the extra traffic generated by the two developments a tunnel should be built underneath the freeway.
Cr Hemphill said the tunnel should go past the Bradmill site in Yarraville as a “relief valve” for motorists who are not going onto the freeway.
He said otherwise cars would be “just piling out at each end into Blackshaws Rd into Melbourne Rd and Millers Rd”.
“You only have to get an accident on the freeway and it banks up in peak hour and they all start using the rat-runs which I think come all the way through Kororoit Creek Rd in that area and it all clogs up,” he said.
Cr Hemphill said the council needed to lobby the government to build the underground tunnel.
Fellow Cr Angela Altair said the planned housing estates in Hobsons Bay would “choke” the municipality up with traffic unless a future council “kept a tight control on these developments”
“It’s going to be a car park if we are not careful – it’s as simple as that,” she said.
