Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Werribee Main Road–Princes Freeway interchange

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:56): (929) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety regarding the road congestion and traffic hazard at the Princes Freeway interchange in Werribee in my electorate. This is an ongoing problem. Not only is it causing hazards and inconvenience to motorists, but it also poses a serious safety hazard and risk, particularly due to the blocking of access to emergency lanes. So the action I seek is for the minister to take action and upgrade the Werribee Main Road exit on the Princes Freeway to address the traffic bottleneck at the Werribee interchange, improve motorist safety and ensure the efficient flow of traffic along the carriageway.

Recent dash cam footage has captured an alarming situation at the Werribee Main Road exit, showing motorists forced to queue for kilometres in traffic congestion. Motorists travelling along the freeway are not aware of the congestion due to the extended length of the queue. Having to attempt to merge and change lanes at the very last minute in very fast moving traffic is causing a traffic hazard.

Despite repeated complaints and community consultation conducted by the state government, very little progress has been made to address the issue, leaving commuters frustrated and vulnerable. The safety concerns raised by my constituents and commuters are troubling. The reports indicate that a significant majority of motorists feel unsafe when using the interchange, especially during peak hours. Congestion and difficulty exiting the freeway are not only impeding the smooth flow of traffic but jeopardising the safety of commuters and emergency responders.

It is crucial to prioritise the safety and wellbeing of all road users, so could the minister please address the issues and the hazards? It is imperative that the government allocates sufficient funds to fix the road and upgrade the exit for road users and emergency responders.