By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
CRIPPLING traffic gridlock at Noble Park’s Heatherton Road level crossing is being described as close to “another Springvale”.
Greater Dandenong councillor Roz Blades is calling for a grade separation of the crossing, following the state government funding the elimination of Springvale’s level crossing over the next four years.
“We’re starting to experience the same problems in Noble Park. There’s shades of Springvale.”
Motorists in Noble Park told the Weekly they had been held up for more than 10 minutes at peak times at the level crossing, complicated by the adjacent roundabout at Douglas Street and Lightwood and Heatherton roads.
Noble Park resident Sherwin Devota said he’d waited for several trains to pass at the “dicey” intersection.
“They claim the Springvale level crossing is bad but they should get this crossing done as well. We live in a First World country – we should have a better road system.”
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Cr Blades said she’d seen peak-time traffic banked up for 400 metres along Lightwood and Heatherton roads back to Corrigan Road. Traffic in the Douglas and Buckley streets shopping precinct is also gridlocked.
She said recently installed red lights – which are activated by trains and prevent vehicles from entering the roundabout from Lightwood Road and eastwards from Heatherton Road – were causing further hold-ups.
“The lights go red and then one minute later a train comes along. Why are they there? They are creating a gridlock.”
Cr Blades said high-density development in Noble Park was adding to the problem and it was becoming increasingly onerous to traverse Greater Dandenong.
“The railway gates are down for 35 out of 60 minutes. The gates are gridlocking the city.
“We need more buses but they can’t get through the gridlocks. As a community, Greater Dandenong is on the move but you can’t get around it. It’s pretty disastrous.”
Last year, VicRoads launched a review of Greater Dandenong’s level crossings, including Noble Park’s three at Corrigan, Chandler and Heatherton roads.
The findings from a public forum on VicRoads’s website were to be considered as part of its strategy for the Pakenham and Cranbourne railway lines.
VicRoads did not comment before the Weekly’s print deadline.
