May 4, 2023 2 min read

Odenwald Road Bridge Update

An update of sorts from Council about very little happening re Odenwald Road bridge.

No footpaths, no traffic controls, no safety for pedestrians. Over 500 ratepayers petitioned Council in April 2021 to make this site safe. No change since.

Banyule Council has published in Banyule Banner a brief update about the long-awaited Odenwald Road bridge safety modifications.

‌ https://www.banyule.vic.gov.au/About-us/Banyule-Banner

Check out the May 2023 edition - lots of useful information.

Odenwald Road bridge is railway-owned infrastructure on rail land - but not used by the railways. Council is the responsible road transport agency and must get approval from Metro Trains Melbourne, the lessee of rail infrastructure, to make any changes on the road on the bridge!

The proper safety solution here is to remove pedestrians from the bridge by constructing a pedestrian bridge on the eastern side of the road bridge.

Council is seeking funding from the State and Federal governments for this project, estimated in 2021 to cost around $1.5 million.

At the time the bridge was built over the rail cutting there was a solitary house in the whole of Eaglemont - the house that was made available by the Davies family to the Heidelberg School artists - Streeton, Roberts, Condor et al.

The bridge on Odenwald Road was never designed for motor vehicles - it was built in 1888, years before any motor vehicle graced any Victorian road!

Back on 11 April 2023 FofEV sought some information from Banyule Council on the frustrating delays:

"I understand that 12 months ago the Capital Works Team was allocated a job to construct pedestrian safety trial modifications to vehicle and pedestrian movement at the bridge on Odenwald Road.‌‌ The published schedule presumed the trial would have been completed and assessed in 2022.‌‌ There seems to be a 12 month slippage.‌‌ Could you please advise the reasons for the delay, and the likely timetable going forward."

A prompt response from Council on 13 April:‌‌

"Good Morning John.

Thank you for your email addressed to Cr. Peter Castaldo and Cr. Alida McKern. Your email has been logged with request number 2134604/2023 and sent to Council’s Traffic and Transport Department to respond.

This request can take up to 20 working days to respond.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like any further information or assistance."

Well at 4 May we are still within the "20 working days" to respond, but scratching our chin about this.

How can an "update" appear in a bi-monthly Council publication faster than ratepayers who have been pressing this matter for nearly 3 years can get answers to formal questions?

Coincidence? Left hand, right hand stuff? Who knows.

What we do know is that this pedestrian safety matter has been too low a priority at Council for too long.

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