RACV says Cooper St, Epping should be widened to three lanes to ease congestion

WIDENING Cooper St in Epping to three lanes should be a priority for VicRoads and the State Government as development in the area booms, Victoria’s peak motoring body says.

Cooper St, Epping, is often heavily congested. Picture: Josie Hayden

WIDENING Cooper St to three lanes should be a priority for VicRoads and the State Government, says Victoria’s peak motoring body.

RACV Roads and Traffic manager David Jones said widening the Epping road, as well as improving bus services and cycling lanes, was a matter of urgency.

“Cooper St needs to be widened to three lanes to ease congestion,” Mr Jones said.

He said with a number of developments in the pipeline for the road, including a billion dollar mini-suburb with homes, shops and a private hospital, congestion would only get worse.

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“VicRoads needs to ensure there is sufficient land available for acquisition and they are working with any potential developers to make sure the roads in the area can handle a significant increase in traffic,” he said.

“Fixing Cooper St remains a priority for the RACV and we’re preparing a document that should be ready to present to VicRoads and the government later on this year.”

Thomastown state Labor MP Bronwyn Halfpenny, whose office is on Cooper St, said the road could be widened but that wasn’t the main issue.

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“Residents often tell me the biggest problem is around the Cooper St/Miller St/High St area,” Ms Halfpenny said.

“The bottleneck at this end is what seems to hold up the traffic which is why I’m pushing as a priority the completion of Edgars Rd.

“We have a lot of catching up to do in the Cooper St area but I think there is an urgent need to duplicate Epping Rd which residents have also raised as a priority.”

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VicRoads Regional Director Metro North West Vince Punaro did not comment directly on the RACV’s idea but he did say VicRoads was working on a number of projects to help relieve congestion across Whittlesea.

“The O’Herns Road interchange will provide alternative access onto the Hume Freeway and improve traffic flow on High St, Miller St and Cooper St,” he said.