Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan): My constituency question is directed to the Honourable Ben Carroll MP for the minister’s responsibility for roads and road safety. Taylors Road, along with Green Gully Road, provides an uninterrupted corridor between the Calder and Western freeways via Keilor Downs and Caroline Springs. The Taylors Road corridor is increasingly performing an arterial function for the broader original road network. Significant growth in the area is adding to traffic congestion and long delays for commuters using Taylors Road. The state government manages the section of Taylors Road between Sunshine Avenue and Kings Road. The remaining sections of the road are managed by the Brimbank and Melton city councils. This disjointed corridor ownership makes it difficult to plan and coordinate upgrades and manage conditions. My question to the minister is: will the Victorian government commit to changing the entire Taylors Road corridor to a state-managed arterial road and particularly prioritise the section between Kings Road and Westwood Drive?
Reply (21 September 2022):
The Hon Ben Carroll MP Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Minister for Business Precincts, Minister for Public Transport, Minister for Roads and Road Safety:
The Andrews Labor Government is removing level crossings on the Palmers Road corridor. The Robinsons Road, Deer Park level crossing removal was removed in September 2022, months ahead of schedule, by building a road underpass and rail bridge. Removing this level crossing has reduced travel times, improved safety and traffic flow, and created better local connections for pedestrians and cyclists.
The level crossing at Calder Park Drive will be removed by 2025 and will improve safety, reduce congestion, and allow more trains to run, more often.