Upgrades to Templestowe Road and Bulleen Road in NEL
Mr BARTON (Eastern Metropolitan) (12:50): My constituency question is addressed to the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, in the other place. I seek assurances for residents and businesses on Templestowe Road and Bulleen Road, south of the freeway, that these will receive upgrades needed to cope with the increase in traffic. These are two key on-ramp roads that are currently deemed out of scope for the North East Link Project. Templestowe Road is a rural road. It has no kerbs, drainage channels, footpaths, formal bus stops, shelters or safe pedestrian crossing points.
The road currently has 13 000 vehicles per day, and to date the North East Link Authority has provided limited modelling projections, yet this road will be a major feeder into the Bulleen Road–Manningham Road intersection. On Bulleen Road 1600 vehicles use the two-lane residential stretch between the freeway and Doncaster Road on a daily basis. It is expected to increase to nearly 5000 vehicles each day, and small businesses and residents along this road are understandably concerned. So I ask the minister: what assurances can she give residents and businesses that these roads will receive the required upgrades to accommodate the increased traffic?