MP urges for road upgrade

STATE upper house Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell, has called on the Government to fund works along Midland Highway in Epsom and Huntly.

Speaking during an adjournment debate in Parliament, Ms Lovell said the busy road should be duplicated from Howard Street to Waratah Road to improve safety in the growing suburbs.

“The continued growth to the northern outskirts of Bendigo through to Huntly means that now is the time to upgrade the road infrastructure of the Midland Highway,” she said.

She called on Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Ben Carroll, to allocate funding for the suggested works.

“I urge the Minister to upgrade safety at the Howard Street intersection and provide the funding to make the duplication of the Midland Highway from Howard Street to Waratah Road in Huntly a reality,” Ms Lovell said.

Her project would see 5.7 kilometres of the road widened, which currently holds only one lane of traffic in either direction.

She said members of the public had made similar demands for upgrades in the area.

“The duplication of the Midland Highway from Howard Street to the Huntly township has been advocated for by the community for many years, yet Labor have failed to improve congestion and safety on this very busy road,” she said.

Earlier this year, local residents established the Epsom Road Safety Group to advocate for road improvements in the suburb, specifically petitioning the Victorian Parliament to widen Howard Street at the intersection with Midland Highway to alleviate congestion.