Cardinia Shire Council has taken another step towards easing ongoing congestion issues throughout Officer, with upgrade works on Brunt Road and Pioneer Way now complete.
Complementing ongoing works along the Princes Highway at Tivendale Road and Bayview Road, the council has completed duplication works along Brunt Road from the entrance of Blue Gum Park to the railway crossing and extended Pioneer Way to connect with Brunt Road.
Other works included the installation of a new roundabout at the Brunt Road, Pioneer Way and Edinburgh Drive intersection to support increasing traffic and providing access to the new Kurmile Primary School located on Fairweather Parade.
Following the construction works, locals raised concerns regarding the removal of the right-hand turn facilities in to and out of the Blue Gum Lifestyle Estate.
To address these concerns, the council raised a notice of motion at the December 2023 council meeting to complete an independent traffic assessment to review the safety of allowing right-turns out of Brunt Road and Rix Rd.
The council then completed an independent traffic assessment and presented the findings at the February 2024 council meeting.
The traffic impact assessment found providing centre median openings along the Brunt-Rix Road corridor would not be in line with the intended or required standards within the Officer Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) and their installation would negatively impact the safety and operation of Brunt Road at the entrance at Blue Gum Lifestyle Village.
Brunt Road has already experienced significant traffic volumes, with the council determining the traffic will exceed the estimated volumes modelled for the PSP, which were estimated to be at 14,500 vehicles per day.
Due to the volume of traffic, the council determined it would be unsafe to install additional median crossings along Brunt Road, including at the entrance to the Blue Gum Lifestyle Village or within the wider Brunt-Rix Road corridor.
Other works included:
-Pavement construction
-Parking bays
-Drainage
-Public lighting works
-Kerb and channel
-Line marking
Officer Ward councillor Tammy Radford was excited to see vital road upgrades being delivered in Officer.
“Brunt Road is a crucial link in our road network, with drivers, cyclists and pedestrians using the road and surrounding paths to access the Princes Hwy and Freeway, schools and educations, businesses, employment and their homes,” Cr Radford said.
“There’s been no doubt that there’s been a lot happening around Officer in the last year, so I’m pleased to see another project has been completed to help keep Cardinia Shire moving.”
Several other projects are being delivered by external agencies and developers around Brunt Road including the Level Crossing Removal works on the train line and developer roadworks on Princes Highway in Beaconsfield. These projects are being delivered independently from the council’s program of works.
For more information on the Brunt Road upgrades and other major projects from around the shire, please visit cardinia.vic.gov.au/majorprojects
