By Natasha Fujimoto
A PERFECT storm creating heavy road congestion, lengthy commuter delays and significant disruption to businesses, on the cusp of the busiest time of year, is brewing over Shepparton and Mooroopna.
Road closures effectively amputating the Fryer Street arm to the Midland Highway has caused an unhappy, if not angry, consensus on the street.
With Council expecting the stage 4 Welsford Street re-development to take three to four months in completion, the congestion on the causeway has been exacerbated by the closure of McCoys, Toolamba and Watts Road bridges, due to flooding.
With so many people in the community asking, ‘Is this the right time for the civil works?’ The Adviser has compiled a cross-section of comments from the community.
Taking to social media, Independent Member for Shepparton, Suzanna Sheed said,
“…Now is not the time to do it, with three bridge crossings closed…and with …Christmas coming on [ there is] a need for shop keepers and businesses to get back on their feet…I’m calling on the Council to reconsider this work…”
Appreciating the urgency of Council to have the civil works completed in a timely manner, but nevertheless concerned about the 30–40-minute delays on his company’s deliveries, KB Transport’s general manager, Adam Katsoutas said,
“These [works and closures] impact delivery schedules, efficiencies, and output per day, which can make it increasingly difficult for clients to obtain the import goods and deliver the export products in a timely manner.
“I believe the unforeseen circumstances of the floods, has created an oversight of the amount of main arterial routes that are currently being impeded…
“Now is the time to defer these works, and re address once additional routes are re-opened,” said Mr Katsoutas.
Calling upon Council to find an alternative time to proceed with the road works, Mooroopna resident Suzie Johnson said,
“Council should be doing the road works in the evening, flood lit if necessary. I was 30 minutes late to pick-up my daughter from school and I was 30 minutes late to work.
“The road closures inconveniences businesses and their employees. I am gobsmacked that Council would do this coming into the Christmas period when traffic significantly increases. It is infuriating and thoughtless.”
Compounding to the critical CBD traffic situation was the emergency roadworks two weeks ago that had to be carried out on the corner of Wyndham and Nixon streets, Shepparton.
