Princess Avenue and Crichton Road in Emerald are the first roads in the Sealing the Hills project to be constructed with works set to commence later this month.
Sealing the Hills project is funded by $150 million from the Australian Government’s Sealing Roads in the Dandenong Ranges and surrounds program and co-funded by Cardinia Shire Council in partnership with landowners via a Special Charge Scheme.
This project will seal 109 kms of unsealed roads on 164 prioritised roads throughout the Cardinia Shire over the next 8 years and falls under Council’s Better Local Roads Program.
Sealing the Hills’ road sealing works will include pavement construction, kerb channel construction (where appropriate), construction of traffic calming devices (where appropriate), drainage works, signage, guardrails and line-marking.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Brett Owen said upgrading unsealed roads under our Better Local Roads Program would better connect motorists with the existing road network.
“These works will reduce environmental impacts and improve comfort and service levels for all road-users,” Cr Owen said.
Federal Member for La Trobe MP Jason Wood said the Morrison Government was proud to contribute $150 million to these vital infrastructure works which would improve safety and provide greater access to community facilities and amenities for all road-users.
“I took the proposal for an unsealed roads package to the Morrison Government to fix dangerous roads, particularly around the Dandenong Ranges. This $300 million package was a commonwealth first, as the Morrison Government understood that it was unfair to leave locals with poor roads that at the current rate, would have taken 100 years to fix. Thanks to this package, that wait has been reduced to eight years”
“Unsealed roads are heavily impacted by weather conditions and increased traffic, particularly in the Dandenong Ranges. Constructing sealed roads in high use traffic areas will reduce the environmental impacts associated with unsealed roads, including run-off into waterways and the surrounding environment.”
“I thank Cardinia Shire Council for putting together this proposal and for working on the delivery of this incredible project to seal 109 kilometres of dangerous and unsealed roads which will ensure locals get home safer”
The works are set to be completed early to mid-2022.
