Calls for North East Link as Rosanna Rd named on RACV Redspot Survey

HEIDELBERG’S most notorious intersections have been voted Victoria’s second worst traffic nightmare for drivers.

RACV Redspot results list Heidelberg Rosanna Rd intersections in top 10 of most congested.

IT’S official. Heidelberg’s most notorious intersections have been voted Victoria’s second worst traffic nightmare for drivers.

The painful wait at numerous sets of traffic lights to turn off and onto Rosanna Rd has drivers tearing their hair out, according to the RACV Redspot Survey.

Voters have been furious at the Rosanna Rd, Lower Heidelberg Rd and Dora, Jika and Banksia St intersections for years, rating the nightmare in the top 10 on the biannual survey since 2010.

Banyule Mayor Craig Langdon said the fact that Heidelberg’s intersections rated second in the survey showed something needed to be done.

“That it was voted second in all of Victoria speaks volumes about how out of control it is,” Cr Langdon said.

“Long-term planning can’t be done overnight, but what do we do overnight to fix these intersections? We need action in one or two years.”

Community lobby group Resolve Rosanna Road’s Natasha Reifschneider said the numerous issues highlighted by the Redspot Survey was a justification for the North East Link.

“It builds a picture of the pathway of the default link and provides further justification the North East Link project needs to be done,” Ms Reifschneider said.

“This public response demonstrates the need for it to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.”

The results come six months after transport industry bodies called for State and Federal governments to immediately fix the “missing link” between Greensborough and Ringwood.

Heidelberg Leader has long campaigned about safety concerns along Rosanna and Banyule roads, both being used to link the Eastern Freeway and the Greensborough Highway.

RACV public policy general manager Brian Negus called for a commitment on detailed planning for the North East Link project.

“RACV has long proposed the North East Link as its number one road project and we need a commitment now to get on with the detailed planning and reserve the corridor for this critical project,” he said.

State Government Roads MP Luke Donnellan said Infrastructure Victoria was developing a 30-year plan for priorities across the state and with a report due at the end of the year.

Mr Donnellan said in the meantime the State Government was pushing forward with projects in Melbourne’s northeast, including removing dangerous and congested level crossings, duplicating the Hurstbridge line, expanding the Chandler Highway bridge and truck curfews.