Gap Road: Government urged to ‘get on with it’

Cr Jack Medcraft believes Sunbury will have its own council in the future (Luke Hemer).

Hume councillor Jack Medcraft has called on the state government to get a move on with fixing the intersection of Gap Road and Horne Street in Sunbury.

Cr Medcraft said residents ‘‘don’t buy’’ claims that it will take 12-18 months to acquire the land needed to widen the approach roads to the intersection, as part of a $6.4 million project to replace the roundabout with traffic lights.

‘‘Politicians … they do this all the time. They make an announcement and then they announce it again,’’ Cr Medcraft said. ‘‘They need to put it in now.’’

But Sunbury MP Josh Bull said Sunbury has had enough of ‘‘negativity and posturing’’, while Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said work would start mid to late next year.

“For four years the Liberals ignored the Gap Road-Horne Street intersection; in less than 18 months in office we have funded it,” Mr Bull told Star Weekly.

Mr Donnellan said the land purchase was only “a small component” of a project that also entailed moving underground cables and pipes.

Cr Medcraft said he would ask Hume councillors to pressure the government to finish the project before the next state election, on November 24, 2018.

‘‘If you’re going to make the announcement and get all the coverage and brownie points, then you have to back it up with action,” Cr Medcraft said.

“VicRoads will deliver the project well and truly before the next state election,” Mr Bull said.