Getting out of Thornhill Park is never simple, even on the best run.

To get to the city from this fringe suburb in Melbourne’s west, you must first drive away from the city, merging into fast-moving traffic on the Western Freeway, then turn back the way you came at the Ferris Road overpass.

Thornhill Park resident Zak stands at the Alfred Road closure, which has added 45 minutes to his journey to collect his daughter from daycare. Credit: Jason South

Those heading west towards Melton have a second option: Alfred Road. It’s a rural road, with gravel verges and no dividing lines for most of its length, but it’s the quickest way to Cobblebank train station, the closest public transport link for this suburb of 8000 people, which has no public transport of its own.

But Alfred Road has j

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