I NOTE with interest the current attention being given to the transport infrastructure of Mildura by councillors, members of parliament, and other local influencers.
As a stakeholder resident of the greater Sunraysia region, I support the need to promote a revamp of the road and rail infrastructure of the region.
To this end, quite some years ago, I submitted plans and mapping overlays for the restructure of both road and rail, along with walking and bike trails, to serve Mildura into the future. Some of the opportunities that existed at that time may have been missed but it is my belief that it is still not too late.
At that time I submitted immediate (cheaper) fix options and longer term (preferred, but more expensive) options to overcome the problems that so obviously exist with both road and rail.
In simple terms, the primary objective is the need to remove heavy road transport from within the commercial/residential areas of Mildura city and to remove the rail lines from the Mildura riverfront. The two problems go hand-in-hand.
The immediate fix
Rail
Terminate the Melbourne/Mildura rail line on the southern side of Red Cliffs and establish at that point a new freight centre to accommodate the transfer of goods from road to rail and rail to road, and the facilities for grain and other fresh fruit storage and loading.
This allows for the removal of all existing rail infrastructure from that point onwards, through the city of Mildura, out to Merbein and to its termination at Yelta.
Road
The vacated rail reserve should then be reconstructed as a four-plus lane freeway entry to Mildura from Red Cliffs to Seventh Street, and providing direct access to NSW via Chaffey bridge on the San Mateo Ave. alignment. Major exits would be provided on to Fifteenth Street at Irymple, and on to Eleventh Street at the existing level crossing. This section should be renamed as Calder Highway, terminating at the Chaffey bridge. The existing Calder Highway sections terminating at Abbotsford bridge should be renamed with local reference.
The Sturt Highway from Adelaide, adjacent to the Airport, must be reconstructed from its connection point with Deakin Ave, in an easterly direction along the Gordon Ave-Dow Avenue alignment to link up with the new Mildura freeway (Calder Highway) at the existing Sixteenth Street crossing/intersection.Cycling
The vacated rail reserve from the Mildura riverfront to Merbein should be redeveloped to include riding paths and walking paths, along with other convenience/tourist facilities.
It must eliminate the awkward intersection of Fourteenth Street and Ontario Avenue at the current level crossing and allow for the making and sealing of the Fourteenth Street extension through to Flora Avenue. It would also free up land that could be utilised by Mildura Base Hospital development.
When the open irrigation channels around Mildura were converted to underground pipelines, the surface space of those water easements should have been developed into walkways and bicycle paths.
The ultimate fix
Rail
The rail line must be extended from its “new” terminal point south of Red Cliffs in a north-westerly direction along the Boomerang Ave-Nineteenth St. alignment to a major terminus off Deakin Ave at Nineteenth Street in the vicinity of the Airport.
This terminus should allow for the movement of light freight and provide for the return of a passenger rail service.
All agricultural and heavy goods would continue to be freight exchanged at the Red Cliffs facility.
The rail line will eventually be continued westerly, on the Nineteenth St. alignment until Meridian Rd, where it will turn northerly and follow the Meridian Rd alignment to the existing wheat silo storage and loading facility at Yelta.
An overpass/underpass will be required where the rail crosses the Sturt Highway.
I envisage that the “great northern rail line” will eventually extend from this point northward across the Murray River, to Menindee – Broken Hill and beyond.
Road
In time, if not now, a second major road/bridge crossing of the Murray River will be required to bypass the city heart for all through-traffic.
I envisage that the new Sturt Highway/Calder Highway intersection at Sixteenth Street be re-aligned to take the Sturt Highway over/under the Calder Highway on the easterly McCracken Avenue alignment where it will continue to a new multi-lane bridge over the Murray River to re-connect with the Sturt Highway in NSW in the region of Monak where the river and the NSW Sturt Highway are at their closest proximity, south of Psyche Bend.
This would also be an appropriate time to action the Sturt Highway/Silver City Highway connection by-pass of Gol Gol/Buronga/Dareton town areas in NSW as planned and surveyed many years ago.
