Cyclists seek Vineyard Road solution

A long-time Sunbury cyclist says lives could be saved by the simple extension of a path beside Vineyard Road.

The shared pathway currently ends at Moore Road, about 200 metres short of the Calder Freeway overpass, forcing cyclists and pedestrians heading for Diggers Rest to cross onto the road.

With vehicles trying to enter the freeway or continue to the overpass, Sunbury Bicycle Users Group member Hector Bugeja said it was a nasty mix.

“You’ve got traffic going onto the freeway, you’ve got traffic behind you, you’ve got others trying to get in the right lane to go over the bridge,” he said. “There is a path on one side, but there’s nothing connecting it. It’s such a dangerous situation.”

Mr Bugeja said there had been many near- misses involving cars, pedestrians or cyclists at the busy site. A cyclist was killed in a crash further along the stretch of road in mid- October.

“It just needs to be looked at,” Mr Bugeja said.

“It can easily be fixed by them connecting that bit of path.”

Mr Bugeja has written to Roads Minister Luke Donnellan and Sunbury MP Josh Bull calling for urgent action.

A spokesman for Mr Bull said the local parliamentarian had inspected the site and shared Mr Bugeja’s concerns.

He said Mr Bull had spoken with Mr Donnellan and was waiting on a formal response.