By Ruza Zivkusic
KINGS Road in Brimbank will be duplicated.
At the announcement last week in Sydenham, Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the project would cost $19.7 million and was expected to begin in early 2007.
The road will be duplicated between Taylors Road in Delahey and the Melton Hwy.
Mr Batchelor said Kings Road would be divided into a fourlane route, extending the already duplicated section south of Taylors Rd to the Melton Hwy.
“Kings Rd is recognised as the vital northsouth link in the outer western suburbs and, once duplicated, will act as a main access route for the rapidly expanding western corridor,” Mr Batchelor said.
He said the State Government “always had plans to expand the road”.
“We’ve built the road under the railway line (in Sydenham) a couple of years ago, we made provision for the road to be duplicated and we’re responding to the community,” he said.
In a media release last week, Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman said the duplication would provide significant traffic flow and safety improvements to Kings Road.
“Great pressure is placed on the road network during peak times,” Cr Suleyman said.
“It causes traffic delays and congestion and forces regional traffic onto the local road network.”
Keilor MP George Seitz said the project would see the installation of traffic signals at Hume Drive, and pedestrians and cyclists would be catered for with an offroad bicycle path facility.
