FEDERAL Labor has promised to match the Federal Government’s $20 million commitment to extend Lloyd Street from Great Eastern Highway through to Abernethy Road.
Labor candidate for Hasluck James Martin said the project is expected to relieve congestion and reduce traffic impact on nearby residential communities.
“The eastern suburbs have been missing out on these types of projects and infrastructure builds for too long,” he said.
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READ NOW“As a local resident, I know too well the traffic issues of getting from Midland to the City and the additional traffic congestion this adds to Guildford.
“The traffic pressure on Military Road should reduce and the bridge should also assist in reducing ambulance travel times to Midland Hospital for people south of the hospital as well as Guildford, South Guildford and Hazelmere residents.”
Federal Member for Hasluck, Ken Wyatt said the extension will extend Lloyd Street to directly link Midland with the industrial areas of Hazelmere and Guildford, and will also connect with the recently announced Abernethy Road/Great Eastern Highway Bypass Interchange.
“This is great news for residents of surrounding areas, who have raised concerns with me about the peak-period traffic build-up and trucks on local roads,” he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the important thing was that people were spending less time on the road and more time with their loved ones.
“That is why we are investing in public transport infrastructure and removing pinch points and bottlenecks will make a real difference to the lives of people living in fast-growing suburbs,” he said.
City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said the project had been a top funding priority for more than a decade.
“The Lloyd street bridge forms a crucial part of our plan to improve traffic flow in Hazelmere, which is expected to save 12 minutes on most commutes as well as alleviate traffic.
“The bridge will cost around $35 million so we’re nearly there, and the City is actively seeking more funding to complete the project.”
The City has launched its Build Bridges Not Traffic campaign to help frustrated drivers get their voices heard and make funding for the bridge a priority for local MPs.
The campaign uses Smart Stickers which will be sent to all City households in March.
Using world first technology, scanners at congestion hot spots can identify the Smart Sticker.
Each time a car or truck with the Smart Sticker drives past the scanner an email is automatically sent to local MPs and election candidates reminding them of the traffic issues.
This is not a speed camera and it will not detect your sticker if you drive too fast.
Mayor Lucas said people can also register support for the Lloyd Street bridge at BuildBridgesNotTraffic.com.
“The more voices heard, the more funding is likely to go towards completing this important improvement,” he said.