Tim Pallas, Member for Tarneit, and John Eren, Member for Lara, have again called on the Baillieu Government to commit to making the Duncans Road – Princes Highway intersection a full diamond interchange at the Community Alliance for a Diamond at Duncans’ launch of a new billboard on Sneydes Road this morning.

The billboard will draw attention to the unreasonable disadvantage caused by the lack of on and off ramps for drivers coming to the region from the West.

“If you are driving to Werribee from the Geelong direction, you can’t exit straight off the highway like you could if you were coming from Melbourne,” said Ray Cody, leader of the Community Alliance for a Diamond at Duncans.

“You have to travel several more kilometres up the road and then turn back through other streets to get to the centre of Werribee. It takes a lot longer and makes the city’s roads more congested and less safe,” Mr Cody said.

“With our region experiencing such growth at the moment, it deserves the investment
to encourage travel and business connections to encourage the local economy and keep jobs coming, while avoiding the downside of traffic congestion,” said Tarneit MP Tim Pallas. 

“The difficulty of travelling into Werribee from this direction is an unnecessary obstacle for local efforts to develop jobs through business and tourism.”

“Making the Duncans Road intersection a full diamond will make it faster, easier and safer for people to make that trip. As part of the new design, the Eastern ramps must be improved to reduce traffic build-up onto the Princes Freeway in peak hour which is very dangerous for exiting motorists,” Mr Pallas said.

The Brumby Labor Government had committed $18 million for the construction of a diamond intersection at Duncans Road but the idea was shelved when the Baillieu Coalition Government entered office.

“The needs of the local community should not be forgotten just because there was a change in Government,” said Lara MP John Eren.

“This is an important and growing community that needs infrastructure to support local activity and its connection with the rest of Victoria, just like anywhere else in the state.”

“It is time for the Baillieu government to actually do something for the West and
invest in making Duncans a Diamond,” Mr Eren said.

“I will be tabling a petition from local citizens supporting the campaign when
Parliament resumes next week, and I encourage all those interested in adding their voice to the petition, or otherwise assisting in the community campaign, to contact my electorate office or visit the Invest in the West Facebook page,” Mr Pallas said.