The McKoy Street intersection in West Wodonga will be upgraded to an even higher standard after a further $104 million was committed to the project by the federal government.
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The intersection is still considered highly dangerous by drivers of cars and trucks who use it on a daily basis, but a solution lasting generations has become reality with a revised budget of $210 million.
The North-East railway line and associated infrastructure has to be able to accommodate double-stacked freight trains as part of the Inland Rail project also coming on line in 2025.
The railway line may need to be taken underground.
In addition to the freight industry, McKoy Street is also the intersection of choice for West Wodonga residents including an estimated 1100 people who have moved into housing estates in the area in the last 10 years.
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Twin City Trucks group operations manager David Burn welcomed the additional funding.
"Three quarters of our staff here use the intersection daily," he said.
"There is a blind corner where trucks come around it and not everyone does the speed limit of 80km/h.
"It is an inconvenience for the truck drivers when they want to get onto McKoy Street when they are coming from Melbourne.
"When fully laden they are trying to go uphill around a corner after they've been across two lanes to get onto McKoy Street.
"We've had this view from the very start."
The federal government's initial investment of $64 million was announced during last year's federal election campaign when Prime Minister Scott Morrison made two visits to Indi in the hope of the Coalition winning the seat back.
The project is also expected to provide a major jobs boost when construction finally starts.
"This project is expected to create over 520 local jobs, so critically important right now as the border region recovers from the economic impacts of the bushfires, COVID-19 and the challenges the border closure has brought about," Victorian Liberal Senator Jane Hume said.
"We cannot afford to half-do this job.
"The upgrade of the McKoy Street intersection will be required to stand the test of time.
"This project will also have long-term economic implications, with upgraded freeway access meaning road transport can move safer and more efficiently through Wodonga, which we know is a transport hub between Melbourne and Sydney."
The Victorian government has also increased its commitment to the project from $16 million to $42 million.
The state government is in charge of completing the planning works.
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley said the extra funding would be welcomed by the drivers of more than 35,000 vehicles that travel intersection daily.
"It is great news for the parents ferrying kids to and from school, people going to work and up to 200 trucks that pull into McKoy Street from the freeway every day," he said.
"At present this half-baked idea puts lives in danger and imposes the only permanent 80km/h zone on the freeway between Sydney and Melbourne.
"I have made speeches, written to ministers asking for change since the first temporary speed limit was imposed in 2016, then we had this roundabout idea dumped on nearby businesses and residents just days before work was set to start in the middle of 2018.
"What we now need to see is action from the Victorian government to get this work moving.
"We know they have done the planning, they now have to make a call on the best location, so let's just get on with it."
