Hume council has called for expansion of Bulla Bridge amid safety concerns.
Mayor Geoff Porter has told VicRoads, Sunbury MP Josh Bull and Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan it is no longer acceptable to continue waiting for the Bulla Bypass, asking that they “seriously reconsider” a duplication of the Bulla Bridge.
“Council has long been concerned with the safety of this narrow, single carriageway bridge,” Cr Porter said in a letter sent in November.
The mayor said long-held concerns had been heightened by the “excessive volume of traffic using the Bulla Bridge” as a result of Sunbury’s rapid population growth. He said the bridge was not designed for the size of the trucks using it, nor the amount of traffic it was carrying.
“There is also a lack of alternative routes for motorists who rely on the Bulla Bridge,” he said.
“Given the history of crashes at the bridge, this is not an unforeseen issue,” Cr Porter said. “It is no longer acceptable to continue waiting for the Bulla Bypass, as council understands that a project of this scale will take many years to deliver.”
Funding was allocated in the 2017-18 state budget for design and planning for the bypass.
As of last week, Hume council said it had not yet received a response from the state government.
Star Weekly contacted Mr Bull for comment.
