Road users still in the dark

By Meg Kennedy

Road users of the new Halletts Way overpass at Bacchus Marsh remain in the dark – literally – regarding the lack of traffic signals and streetlighting in the area.

Although the new exit and entrance ramps were opened in August 2018, an electricity supply is still yet to connect to the site.

The lack of streetlighting extends all the way down to the Halletts/O’Leary Way southern extension, which was officially opened back in 2017.
Frustrated road users have taken the issue into their own hands.

A recent email from Major Road Projects Victoria (MPRV) to a road user, posted on a ‘Bacchus Marsh Residents’ Facebook group, stated that “there have been some ongoing delays in getting an electricity supply connected to the site, which has resulted in them being inoperative for a relatively long period since installation.”

The email said that the issues were exacerbated by theft on-site, which took “several months to resolve”, that the work on the site is complete, and that MRPV is “currently going through the processes required to engage Powercor to carry out the electrical connection.”

MRPV estimated that the engagement with Powercor will take until “almost the end of October…and the lights switched on by the end of the year,” though the times were subject to change.

“Our best case estimate from Powercor sits at around 10-weeks to completion,” said the email.

Following the email, the Moorabool News posed questions to both MRPV and Powercor regarding the current situation of the streetlights.

Neither party directly confirmed a date for when the streetlighting was to be installed, what was behind the initial delay, details on the theft on-site, and whether lighting would be switched on by the end of the year.

MRPV Program Director Tim Price said “we understand the frustration of residents as we wait for the lights to be powered at Halletts Way,” and that the state government body is “working with Powercor to ensure this issue is resolved as quickly as possible.”

In an almost mirroring statement, a spokesperson for electricity provider Powercor said the company’s role “will be to audit the work to ensure it meets the safety and quality standards before connecting the lights to our network”, and that it is “working with VicRoads to progress this project as quickly as possible.”

The $15.2 million Halletts Way Upgrade overpass was completed in August 2018 and serves as new entry and exit ramps to the Western Freeway at Bacchus Marsh, aimed to stop congestion on Gisborne Road.

The upgrade also included a new separated shared-use bridge over the Western Freeway for pedestrians and cyclists.