Locals Help Shape Vital Suburban Road Upgrades

  • Minister for Transport Infrastructure

Drivers who rely on Melbourne’s busiest suburban roads in the north and south-east are helping to shape their transformation, as the Andrews Labor Government’s Suburban Roads Upgrade hits a major new milestone.

The Labor Government today released the Request for Proposal (RFP) to deliver the $2.2 billion north and south-eastern packages, allowing bidders to submit their plans for the projects.

Short-listed parties will be required to respond to a Request for Proposal for each of the Northern Roads Upgrade and South-Eastern Roads Upgrade in mid-2019.

More than 2,500 pieces of community feedback have been received since proposed designs for 12 road projects in Melbourne’s north and south-eastern suburbs were released last year.

This valuable insight from road users has helped to refine projects, so the upgraded roads can better meet the needs of those who use them every day.

The Northern Roads Upgrade will fix six priority roads and improve and maintain hundreds of kilometres of arterial roads across Melbourne’s north.

Craigieburn Road, Sunbury Road, Epping Road, Childs Road and Bridge Inn Road will be duplicated to boost capacity. Intersections will also be upgraded along Fitzsimons Lane in Eltham.

The South-Eastern Roads Upgrade will make huge improvements to capacity and boost safety on six priority roads, as well as improve and maintain hundreds of kilometres of arterial roads across the south-eastern suburbs.

Extra lanes will be added at Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, Lathams Road, Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road and Pound Road West, to slash congestion and improve safety. Hallam North Road and Golf Links Road will also be upgraded.

Meanwhile work is well underway on the $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade, the first part of the Suburban Roads Upgrade, with all eight major road upgrades now under construction from Altona North to Tarneit.

The Suburban Roads Upgrade marks the Labor Government’s biggest ever investment in arterial roads, with $4 billion to be spent on upgrades in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.

Construction on the northern and south eastern road upgrades is expected to start from 2020 and is due to be completed at the end of 2025.

As stated by Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan

“Locals who have spent years grappling with bad traffic in Melbourne’s north and south-eastern suburbs have helped to shape better and safer roads, with extra lanes and intersection improvements.”

“These vital upgrades in Melbourne’s outer suburbs will slash congestion, improve traffic flow and boost access for hundreds of thousands of drivers every day, while making these busy roads safer for all road users.”

/Public Release. View in full here.