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This article was published on Wednesday, 21 February, 2018. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Draft Wanganui Road and Ford Road Feasibility Study out for comment

The Draft Report provides for the upgrade of Ford Road to become a key strategic east-west link between Stage 1 of the Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass (Shepparton Bypass) and the Shepparton Alternate Route (Doyles and Grahamvale Roads). It will also aid in the realisation of a freight supply chain network around Shepparton and Mooroopna.

The Ford Road route was identified as the best option for an arterial east-west connection between the Goulburn Valley Highway and the Shepparton Alternate Route from at least 2006, with the adoption and implementation of the Greater Shepparton 2030 Strategy 2006 and recent strategies undertaken in coordination with VicRoads, including the Greater Shepparton Freight and Land Use Strategy 2013.

Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Cr Kim O’Keeffe said “Council is aware there are residential properties along Ford and Wanganui Roads that may be impacted and sought to understand the design constraints and any issues it may raise.”

“Council undertook pre-draft consultation with land owners and occupiers of land along Ford and Wanganui Roads in April and May 2017 and invited interested parties to attend drop-in sessions to ensure all issues were known at the pre-draft stage. Freight operators were also invited to attend these workshops,” she said.

Council received 16 pre-draft submissions outlining a variety of concerns and further issues that should be addressed as part of the investigation. Council and VicRoads undertook additional assessments to further inform the investigation including assessment of intersection treatments, a road safety audit, a landscape master plan, flood modelling and an acoustic assessment.

The findings of the Draft Report include a concept design to increase the road reserve cross section width for Wanganui and Ford Roads creating three distinct cross sections for various sections of the route, and provide intersection upgrades along with a landscape master plan for the ultimate design of the entire route.

The upgrade of the route will realise a freight supply chain network surrounding Mooroopna and Shepparton; remove freight movements from the Mooroopna and Shepparton CBDs having significant safety benefits; and improve freight efficiencies for operators to strengthen their sustainability and provide opportunities for future economic prosperity.

The route will also become a landscaped boulevard to enhance the amenity of the area and will provide for the segregation of vehicular traffic from all other users of the road to provide a greatly improved safety environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

It will also provide sheltered left and right-hand turn lanes for safe turning movements; lead to improved drainage infrastructure along the entire route; and upgrade Ford Road to support its ongoing role and function as a key east-west connection.

The Draft Report estimates the total cost for all works required to allow Ford and Wanganui Roads to act as an arterial east-west link to be $100.64 million. Any future upgrade is likely to be dependent upon securing funding for Stage 1 of the Bypass.

“We invite affected land owners and occupiers of land along Ford and Wanganui Roads to attend a number of one-on-one workshops with Council officers, VicRoads officers and GTA Consultants Pty Ltd over the course of March and April,” said Cr O’Keeffe.

The following dates are available for land owners and others interested in the Draft Report to meet with Council officers:

10am - 1.00pm and 1.30pm - 6pm on Tuesday, 6 March 2018
9am - 12.00pm and 12.30pm - 5pm on Thursday, 8 March 2018
10am - 1.00pm and 1.30pm - 6pm on Tuesday, 13 March 2018
10am - 1.00pm and 1.30pm - 6pm on Thursday, 5 April 2018

You can arrange an appointment by calling the Building and Planning Department on (03) 5832 9730.

The closing date for submissions on the Draft Report is Monday, 23 April 2018.

Following consultation, Council officers will review all feedback, comments and submissions received. The final Wanganui Road and Ford Road, Shepparton: Feasibility Study Design Report is expected to be further considered by Council in mid-2018.