Prime Minister Scott Morrison pledges road upgrades, extra car parks at stations to ease congestion

More than 1500 new car parks will be added to railway stations in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, including Ringwood, Mitcham and Croydon, as the federal government pledges to slash peak-hour traffic times.

More than 1500 new car parks will be added to railway stations throughout Melbourne’s booming southeastern suburbs as the federal government pledges to slash peak-hour traffic times.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today also pledge $120 million to help tackle congestion on critical routes including the Maroondah Highway and Princes Freeway.

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His $68 million commitment will add new car parks at six stations — Croydon, Mitcham, Ringwood, Ferntree Gully, Hampton and Bentleigh — in a bid to ease congestion which has crippled morning commuters.

It is estimated the projects will deliver more than 1500 parks for commuters who would otherwise have to sit in traffic to travel to the CBD.

Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are announcing $68 million for more than 1500 new car parks. Picture: Stuart Milligan

Another $20 million from the Urban Congestion Fund will go towards intersection upgrades southbound on the Maroondah Highway from the Melba Highway to Ingram Rd.

Eight intersection upgrades along the Princes Highway at Beaconsfield Avenue, O’Neil Rd, Brunt Rd, Bayview Rd, Tivendale Rd, McMullen Rd, Arena Pde and Thewlis Rd will cost of $17.8 million.

A $13 million investment will upgrade the McGregor Rd and Pakenham Bypass interchange on the Princes Highway, while Plymouth Rd between Narr-Maen Dr and Midhurst Rd in Croydon will have a $2.5 million upgrade.

Plymouth Road between Narr-Maen Drive and Midhurst Road in Croydon will also be upgraded with a $2.5 million cash injection.

Mr Morrison said additional carparking and removing pinch points and bottlenecks would make a “real difference” to the lives of people living in the outer east and southeast regions of Melbourne.

The Federal Government has announced major upgrades to the Princes Freeway at Pakenham and the Maroondah Highway at Coldstream.

He said local MPs, including Michael Sukkar, Tony Smith, Jason Wood and Tim Wilson, had all lobbied for the congestion-busting projects to help local families and businesses.

“I am focused on delivering for Melbourne where congestion is increasingly taking away the time that families get to spend around the dinner table at night,” Mr Morrison said.

“The investments we have announced over the past two days are backed in by our plan for a stronger economy and will help make sure that local residents spend less time stuck in traffic jams and more time at home with their families and working in their businesses — this is what matters.”

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