Russell Broadbent (McMillan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Sand Road-Longwarry interchange, on the main highway to Gippsland, was always a very dangerous intersection in my electorate. It has just been finished, ahead of schedule. It fixed a notorious black spot. The speed limit will return to 110 through that intersection, offering quicker trips for traffic.

A major upgrade of this part of the freeway is an intersection with a service centre on each side. Once the service centres went in, it became even more difficult to traverse. This intersection plays a major role in the traversing from northsouth to eastwest. The bridges that we have put in have enhanced opportunities for farmers, particularly heavy milk trucks, in the northern part of that area of West Gippsland, to traverse into the southern part where all the factories are and where the milk is processed. So it is a very important piece of infrastructure.

I want to congratulate former Mayor Debbie Brown, the state member for Narracan and all the councillors who have lobbied for many years to get this intersection upgraded. I told them on the day that I nearly lost my own life at that intersection because of how dangerous it was. It has been fixed. It is safety first. I believe we are saving lives. There have been more than 25 crashes in that area over the last few years. This is a very good piece of infrastructure. Thank you to Minister Darren Chester for coming down to open it.

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