Hobsons Bay council and community members have rallied together to campaign for a safe crossing over Queen Street Bridge in Altona Meadows.
An online petition voices their dissatisfaction to Major Road Projects Victoria for not including a walking and riding link in their planned upgrade of the bridge.
The current project scope for Queen Street Bridge – which sees about 20,000 vehicles a day across the Laverton Creek – is limited to strengthening upgrades, which will require traffic management and limited traffic flow during construction.
Mayor of Hobson Bay, Jonathon Marsden, told Star Weekly, "people risk their lives every day walking on the road bridge to cross here."
"The bridge has created a divide in our community for decades; it was never fit for purpose as just a road bridge and the proposed upgrade looks to repeat the same mistake."
The Queen Street Bridge is the only major connector between the west and east of the municipality, forcing most bike riders, pedestrians, joggers and people with disabilities to divert 600 metres to cross the Laverton Creek on the Coastal Trail connection.
“It’s a missed opportunity and we are calling on Major Road Projects Victoria to have another look at their design and ensure it is more than just a bridge for cars,” Cr Marsden told Mirage News.
“By not adding a safe pedestrian and cycling connector as part of the upgrade, they are basically limiting all safe travel to cars only."
Hobsons Bay has encouraged people to get involved by sending the road authority a free postcard, which the council has made available from the Altona Meadows Library and Hobsons Bay Civic Centre.
Or, you can fill out the online petition here.
Image: starweekly.com.au
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