Works have begun on a new roundabout in Gisborne, forcing the current intersection to close for four months, despite ongoing community and council concern about the impact of the works on a nearby bridge and trees.
The construction of the roundabout is taking place at the intersection of Melbourne and Kilmore roads, and will include the replacement of the existing 148-year-old bluestone bridge over Bunjil Creek and the removal of two significant elm trees.
According to a statement from Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, the replacement of the existing bridge over Bunjil Creek will cause Melbourne and Kilmore roads intersection and Melbourne Road between Fisher Street and Kilmore Road to close while works are completed.
Kilmore Road between Melbourne Road and the bridge over Jacksons Creek will also be closed, with a detour available via Station Road and with right turns at the Fisher and Aitken streets intersection to be restricted, the statement said.
“We’re fixing Gisborne’s most notorious intersection and delivering vital road safety improvements right across the Macedon Ranges,” Ms Thomas said.
The plans to develop a roundabout at the intersection were first announced at the end of 2018, which was followed by a period of consultation in late 2019.
A Regional Roads Victoria (RRV) report to Macedon Ranges council in 2021 stated the bluestone bridge and surrounding mature English Elm trees would not be able to be retained due to flooding concerns.
Following this, council called for a heritage assessment on the bridge and nearby elms, which found the bridge was constructed in 1847 and estimated the trees were planted in 1855.
Despite the findings of historical significance, the planning minister denied a request for council to introduce heritage overlay controls, as council had reached an agreement with RRV to retain the bridge and trees.
At a meeting in December last year, councillors renewed their efforts to secure heritage overlay of the area, and voted in favour of submitting additional amendments to include two century-old oaks and one elm tree.
Ms Thompson’s statement said: “The bluestone foundations of the existing bridge will be re-used as part of the final beautification and landscaping works”.
The February update on the RRV website said: “Two significant elm trees will need to be removed to allow for the intersection upgrade. Both trees have been assessed by the arborist as being in fair health and poor structure.”
Macedon Ranges Residents Association secretary Christine Pruneau said though there’s a need for an improvement at the intersection due to development on Kilmore Road, there hasn’t been consideration of undertaking works that uphold heritage.
“RRV runs the risk of being seen as bully boys, really,” Ms Pruneau said.
“They don’t seem to want to listen and while road safety is really important, there are different ways you can get to the end point and that doesn’t seem to have been on their radar.”
The statement from Ms Thomas said the new roundabout would improve traffic flow and visibility, and create better cycling and pedestrian paths.
“Gisborne needs this intersection fixed – with a history of near-misses, locals know just how bad visibility is here, particularly for vehicles turning right onto Melbourne Road.”
But Ms Pruneau said there seems to be a lack of regret for the loss of the bridge and trees.
“Anybody who can only see it from a traffic perspective, will soon be able to look at that intersection and say what have we lost?” she said.
