The above diagram is drawnVicRoad’s secret freeway plan. Released to The Age under freedom of information and published here http://theage.com.au/pdf/Melbourne2040.pdf [Large File], published as : ‘Plan for hundreds of kilometres of new freeways’ by Clay LucasOctober 11, 2010
The route would either devastate Merri Creek, or turn Rushall Crescent into a six lane arterial road to join Brunswick Rd, Holden St, St George’s Rd and Hoddle St in spaghetti junctions.
The 3068 Neighbourhood Group has grave concerns for the heritage buildings and landscapes in the path of the proposed arterial road, including The Terminus Hotel(1854) on Queens Parade, The Old Colonist’s Society, Thomas Kidney Reserve and the Inner Circle Linear park.
Denials
Richmond MP and Housing Minister Richard Wynne, denied any Labor plan for major roads in the seat. The Age 20th October 2010. However the was enthusiastically endorsed by the RACV’s Brian Negus.
“an issue that has been circulating in his electorate and surrounding electorates: a fear campaign, a smear campaign, that has been run by a number of people … There is a very wrong suggestion that the government has a proposal to build a freeway through the Yarra Flats to link the Eastern Freeway with the northern metropolitan ring road. I put on the record that the government has no such proposal under consideration… It is not on our radar… There is no truth in the suggestion.”
The latest denial merely gives the proposed Hoddle Street Extension the same status as Sir Rod Eddington’s East-West Tunnel. Its not on the agenda for the current electoral cycle – but still part of the plan.
Freeway along Rushall Crescent North Fitzroy
The Hoddle Highway was part of the grid of freeways proposed in the 1969 Melbourne Transport Plan.
An entire row of heritage shops along the west side of Hoddle Streets between Victoria Parade and Alexandra Parade were demolished for the frewway. This is now a service road.
If Hoddle Street is widened north of Alexandra Parade, then the Elms and Oaks of Darling Gardens will be bulldozed, and much of Mayor’s Park will be obliterated to support trucks moving between the Hume Freeway, Ring Road, and City Link.
