With the railway siding at LS Precast still unable to be used it's products have to be transported by road.
The move has left members of Longwood, 68 km south-west of Benalla, furious their town was being used as a thoroughfare.
Longwood was thrown up as the alternative route after it was determined the concrete – up to 160 tonnes of it – was unable to be transported on the Hume Fwy because of weight restrictions on Pranjip Creek Bridge.
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The proposed route would see trucks detour off the Hume Hwy before re-joining the highway via Alexandersons Rd at Locksley.
And now State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan has thrown her support behind the Longwood Action Group and Strathbogie Shire.
Ms Ryan said the community was “bearing the brunt of a lack of logistics and infrastructure planning” for the project.
“We were told the concrete plant in Benalla would transport product via rail,” Ms Ryan said.
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“This has not eventuated and now we know the historic Pranjip Bridge is unable to carry the weight of the product.
“If the Hume Hwy is unable to bear the weight of five, 160-tonne plus super loads a week, the roads in the small town of Longwood are going to struggle as well.”
Joining the trucks would be up to 30 escort vehicles, with the convoy traveling through Longwood at a maximum speed of 25 km/h at about 1 am daily.
This would continue for two years.
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Ms Ryan called the government arrogant to expect Strathbogie ratepayers to foot the bill for any damage to the local roads.
“The Andrews government must upgrade the Pranjip Bridge to facilitate the movement of material for the West Gate Tunnel Project or, at the absolute minimum, fund the upgrade and upkeep of the local roads that will be carrying this enormous burden for a city project,” Ms Ryan said.
“The government’s failure to consult with locals is arrogant in the extreme.”
Longwood Action Group president Steve Tobin told Shepparton News this week there had been little communication with the Department of Transport, a fact supported by Strathbogie Mayor Amanda McClaren.
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Cr McClaren said she was disappointed with the timeframes imposed by the government and lack of communication.“In fact, the only reason the Longwood and Locksley communities are aware of this project is because our council quickly arranged a community meeting with Regional Roads Victoria,” she told Shepparton News.“Our community has not had the opportunity to raise its concerns, or provide their invaluable advice, on how we can make sure this project is managed safely and effectively.”
The office of Transport Minister Jacinta Allan was contacted by the Ensign for comment but has not responded by the time of printing.
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