Canterbury Rd roundabout to be removed by VicRoads

THE Montrose township will be fractured if VicRoads goes ahead with its plans for the removal of the Canterbury Rd roundabout, a community group says.

Montrose residents don’t want the Canterby Rd roundabout removed. Picture: Stuart Milligan

THE Monstrose township will be fractured if VicRoads goes ahead with its plans for the removal of the Canterbury Rd roundabout, a community group says.

VicRoads is close to finalising plans for the road “upgrade”, which includes removing more than 100 trees, creating eight lanes of traffic, replacing the roundabout with a set of traffic lights and redesigning the entrance to Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd.

But 10 months after the road authority started its design process, which has included numerous community consultation meetings, members of the Montrose Township Group feel they have not been heard.

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Group member Jeni Nathanielsz said more than 100 healthy, mature trees were going to be removed, meanwhile the works would only improve commuters travel time by four minutes.

“We don’t want our roundabout taken away,” Ms Nathanielsz said.

“We’ve had meeting after meeting, after meeting and they (VicRoads) pretend to listen but they don’t.

“They’re walking all over us.”

She said the way VicRoads had redesigned the part of the intersection on Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd, it would ruin the township with drivers having to complete a U-turn to be able to visit the shops.

“They’re ruining the whole aspect of Montrose,” Ms Nathanielsz said.

“It’s over-the-top with eight lanes. All they’re doing is taking the roadblock further down to the York Rd roundabout.”

Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader previously reported Montrose CFA opposed the plans which could affect the brigade’s ability to attend call-outs.

Yarra Ranges Mayor Len Cox said he did not agree with what VicRoads had planned and appealed the authority to change its design.

“What they’ve designed removes all the trees and it will be bitumen from curb to curb. It’s terrible,” Cr Cox said.

He said the eight lanes would reduce to two after the roundabout and only pushed the traffic problem further along Swansea Rd.

VicRoads Metro South East regional director Aidan McGann said the authority was working to finish designs on the Federally-funded Canterbury Road roundabout replacement.

“We have been working closely with the Montrose Township Group and Yarra Ranges Council,” Mr McGann said.

“VicRoads will not deliver this federal project until there is broad community support and all safety concerns have been adequately addressed.”