WOODBRIDGE residents have questions they want answered about the plan to remove the Morrison Road level crossing and build a grade-separated crossing in its place.

On Monday, March 10 Main Roads WA said the project would  increase safety for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, reduce congestion and improve connectivity for the community.

“The removal of the level crossing will provide a safer, more efficient road network by reducing congestion and interactions with the rail network,’’ a Main Roads spokeswoman said.

“The project is in the early stages of planning and development, with investigations underway.

“Further updates will be provided once the project scope has been fully defined, with wider engagement with the local community and businesses expected to occur in 2025.

“The project is jointly funded by the state ($100 million) and commonwealth ($100m) governments and is being delivered by Main Roads on behalf of Metronet.’’

Main Roads said construction work on the grade-separated crossing was currently anticipated to start in 2027.

The Woodbridge Ratepayers Association (WRA) said it had been seeking information on what is proposed for the grade separation crossing since last year.

President Lynn Deering said they wished to ask Main Roads what level of freight vehicle would the system be designed for, what was the traffic forecast for the area alongside Woodbridge Primary School and Coal Dam and how would the crossing interface with Great Eastern Highway?

“Main Roads announcement and information from the City of Swan reflects the problem that lies at the heart of Midland a ‘left hand and a right hand’ but neither working together nor in the interests of consultation with our community evidenced by the car park and station,’’ she said.

She said there was a problem in what really was the vision for Midland and who shared it and who had a right to have a say.

“Those of us who live here or ‘the big hand of developers and retail industry’?

“Who gets to decide how we wish to live?’’

In Midland traffic study required (Echo News, February 20) independent Sarah Howlett, who unsuccessfully ran for the seat of Midland in the March 8 state election, said closing the Helena Street crossing meant people from the Coal Dam development had to access through Amherst Road around the primary school and then exit over the Morrison Road crossing.

Ms Howlett said people could get caught at that boom gate for 20 minutes, which meant Woodbridge residents could not leave their community because of the traffic banking up.

She said one answer was to put an underpass, a grade separation at Morrison Road.

“I don’t know if that is the right answer as that’s going to reclaim the primary school and I don’t know where we’re driving the traffic – the smarter thing would be doing a traffic study...before we spend another dollar trying to do a little patch work.

“But if they’d moved the freight line like they were meant to we wouldn’t necessarily have this issue – that’s another problem in itself.’’