Residents bypassed

THE Dandenong Bypass opened to traffic on 20 December, two months ahead of schedule – but it wasn’t a welcome Christmas present for neighbouring residents.
The $74.6 million State Government-funded road is 3.5 kilometres long and six lanes wide from Springvale Road to Perry Road in Keysborough.
It’s expected to reduce traffic and ease congestions on Cheltenham and Springvale roads.
But Brett Drive, Keysborough, resident Sue Tawhai said her home was near the Chapel Road intersection and truck drivers regularly used air brakes to stop at the lights.
“In the afternoon, it’s pretty full-on, and we’re outdoors a lot at this time of year,” she said.
Ms Tawhai said the barrier wall was high in places but “dipped right down” in others – including in front of her property.
“If the wall maintained the height it might be a bit better,” she said.
She said signage warning trucks not to use air brakes could also help the situation.
“I just feel that it was a bit of a disappointing result at the end of the day,” she said.
“I was thinking it was going to be so much better than it is.
“We’re so aware that it’s there. Visually and noise-wise it’s in your face.”
Chris Keys lives in Keysborough’s Dryandra Crescent and is unhappy with the amount of screening at the back of her property.
“Because of the height of the wall, noise will drift over the top,” she said.
“You can’t sit out in my backyard and enjoy it because of the noise.
“We were assured privacy and noise levels would be a priority.”
VicRoads eastern projects director Frank De Santis said independent noise modelling and analysis was undertaken during planning to determine existing and predicted noise levels.
He said this indicated noise walls were not currently required near Ms Keys’ and Ms Tawhai’s homes due to the distance between the road and houses.
“Further noise measurements will be undertaken once the number of vehicles using the road has normalised (in four to six months’ time),” he said.
“The results of these tests will determine the need for any changes to the current noise wall arrangements. “
Lyndhurst MP Tim Holding in Parliament on 12 December urged Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to intervene “to make sure that the residential amenity, safety and long-term lifestyle of people living in the immediate surrounds of the Cheltenham Road overpass are protected”.
“When this part of the project was originally conceived, it was intended that there would be an intersection at Cheltenham Road,” he said.
“Then as a consequence of further consideration, it was subsequently announced that there would be an overpass at Cheltenham Road to provide a better flow of traffic.
“As a consequence, this is having a significant impact on residents, particularly those living in the vicinity of Dryandra Crescent in Keysborough.”