A bird’s eye view of the EastLink to Monash junction in Dandenong North.By Shaun Inguanzo
A TOWERING EastLink ramp and causing dust to blow onto Dandenong North homes is not necessary to the new tollway, according to one resident.
Burchall Grove resident John Weston, who last week appeared in Star with wife Denise, said a meeting last Friday with EastLink engineering group Thiess John Holland left him doubting the need for the ramp’s existence.
The Westons complained about dust blowing into their property from the nearby EastLink construction.
Since the article was published, the Westons have learned the height of the EastLinkMonash Freeway offramp, which lies less than 10 metres from their back yard, will be no more than 7.48 metres high. But it will have a sound barrier measuring five metres on top.
The Westons were this week told by Thiess John Holland the chemical dust suppressant Lignosperse sprayed on the ramp would not be harmful to humans.
But Mr Weston this week said the ramp, which provided a righthand turn for southbound motorists to the Monash Freeway from EastLink just south of Police Road, seemed futile because there were cheaper alternatives for drivers.
“Assuming that a southtravelling vehicle (on EastLink) can only access the EastLink from Wellington Road and north of that, then I cannot see any cars using this interchange to get onto the Monash to go towards the city,” he said.
“Wellington Road has its own entry to the Monash 1.5km away from the EastLink intersection with Wellington Road, so why would people pay to go four kilometres longer?”
Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA) spokesperson Matt Phelan said the ramps would make the road more userfriendly.
“EastLink could be built and used without any ramps at the Monash, or at the Princes Highway for that matter, but why bother building the project if you are stopping drivers from getting on and off?” he said.
“Councils and drivers along the route are still calling for more ramps and more access to EastLink – not less ramps and less access to EastLink.”
Mr Phelan said an environmental effects statement released in 1998 in preparation for the project stated that “ freewaytofreeway ramps provided maximum benefits in operating the road network”.
He said SEITA was the state authority overseeing the development of EastLink.
