The $1bn in savings found through a review of the $34.5bn Suburban Rail Loop has already been rediverted, with Ben Carroll pumping the cash into must-win electorates ahead of the election.<\/p>\n
The Premier will on Friday pledge $494m for a major upgrade to Somerton Rd, bringing the total to more than $1.2bn in spending on road upgrade commitments made in just three days.<\/p>\n
He has now promised major road upgrades in Greenvale, Meadow Heights, Roxburgh Park and Epping in the north, and Seabrook and Wyndham Vale in Melbourne\u2019s west.<\/p>\n
Labor sources said it was hoped the big spending would be welcomed by locals, and MPs, in fast-growing outer suburbs who felt neglected at the expense of the divisive SRL project.<\/p>\n
But it was also critical to fend off advances by One Nation who were looking to capitalise on growing anti-government sentiment in Melbourne\u2019s northern and western suburbs.<\/p>\n
Pollster Kos Samaras said latest polling showed Coalition was poised to win a swag of three-way contests across the state.<\/p>\n
He said they could be particularly effective in the north and west.<\/p>\n
One Labor source said Mr Carroll was \u201cfinally rediverting SRL money to where it always should have been spent, in local heartland communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Somerton Rd upgrade will widen 4km of the critical east-west corridor from two lanes to six as between Fleetwood Drive and Roxburgh Park Drive.<\/p>\n
Three key intersections at Aitken Boulevard, Magnolia Boulevard and Roxburgh Park Drive would also be upgraded while a new walking and cycling path would be built.<\/p>\n
Final planning and procurement for the project is expected to begin 2027, with construction to start in the following term of government.<\/p>\n
the government said the project was affordable because of a series of savings including $1bn in SRL savings.<\/p>\n
While $1bn in savings has already been identified, Labor was expecting to find a further billion dollars in savings through technical and engineering reviews of the project. <\/p>\n
As part of the savings, the 26km SRL East between Cheltenham and Box Hill will be scaled back by dumping underground station interchanges at Box Hill and Glen Waverley.<\/p>\n
The costs of building carparking in Glen Waverley will also be reduced, while a second station entrance at Clayton will be cut, along with \u201ccomplex pedestrian bridges\u201d in Burwood and Cheltenham.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have listened to the community. Better local roads in growing areas are my priority,\u201d Mr Carroll said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelbourne\u2019s north is growing \u2014 this upgrade will save local families precious time.\u201d<\/p>\n
It comes after Mr Carroll promised a $448m upgrade blitz across three critical roads in Melbourne\u2019s west on Thursday, and $270m in northern suburbs upgrades on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Those announcements included $195m for the widening of Point Cook Road in Seabrook, $170m to widen Taylors Road, and $83m to double the capacity of the intersection between Ballan Road and Bolton Road in Wyndham Vale.<\/p>\n
Mr Carroll also promised residents in Epping that $270m would be spent upgrading Findon Rd to make the ageing choke-point safer for residents in the outer north.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoads, roads, and more roads are such an important part of what I will do as premier \u2026 fixing potholes, and getting people home faster,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The $1bn in savings found through a review of the $34.5bn Suburban Rail Loop has already been 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