Planning expert questions the need for the proposed Mordialloc Bypass, saying it could cause more congestion

Dr Ian Woodcock, from the RMIT school of Global, Urban and Social Studies, has said the need for the planned 9km road linking the Mornington Peninsula Freeway with the Dingley Bypass hasn’t been proven.

VicRoads has started drilling and geotechnical work for the Mordialloc Bypass near Aspendale Gardens. Picture: Chris Eastman

PLANNING expert Dr Ian Woodcock has questioned the need for the proposed Mordialloc Bypass.

Dr Woodcock, from the RMIT school of Global, Urban and Social Studies, said the new freeway was based on a 50-year-old study and the $300 million building cost would be better spent on a light rail line.

“This is a plan from 1969 to put freeways everywhere,” he said.

“In 50-60 years we have learned a lot about the effects of traffic and what causes traffic problems.”

Dr Woodcock said big roads generally caused more problems than they solved.

“In the long run it is far better to look at alternative ways to move people around. The easiest thing to do is to build more roads but we should be looking at alternatives,” he said.

Dr Woodcock said it wasn’t even clear there was a need for the bypass and said the said the claim that Springvale Rd was congested was a contested one.

He said Melbourne could consider a plan similar to that of Los Angeles — a city with historically little in the way of public transport — which was building 30 years worth of public transport in 10 years.

The 9km Mordialloc Bypass will link the end of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Springvale Rd to the Dingley Bypass.

It is expected to divert one third of traffic from Springvale Rd and more than half of existing traffic from Boundary Rd

Community opinion is split with supporters of a new road calling for it be a freeway and not another arterial road.

Build the Mordialloc Bypass campaigners fear it would be “riddled with traffic lights”.

But Residents Against Mordialloc Freeway said there was no proof another road, whether bypass or freeway, was even needed.

Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said, “it’s all very well for academics to contemplate a future without new roads — but the fact is most of us rely a car to get the kids to school and get ourselves to work every day.”

“The Mordialloc Bypass will reduce congestion and improve safety in some of outer Melbourne’s fastest growing areas.”

“It will increase traffic flow, better connect local communities to local amenities and improve reliability for on-road public transport — that’s why we’re getting on with it.”