Early works are being fast tracked on the $711 million Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 in Victoria, which will deliver an additional 36 kilometres of new lanes on the Monash Freeway.
The first package of works under this project are going to be funded from the $111 million that was saved from Stage 1.
Works on the Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 will include installing smart on-road technology from the South Gippsland Freeway to the Beaconsfield Interchange. This new technology will provide drivers with live traffic information as well as help manage lanes to get motorists where they need to be, safer and faster.
Stage 2 of the upgrade will involve expanding the freeway from eight to ten lanes between Warrigal Road and Eastlink to the west as well as between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road to the east from four to six lanes. The additional lanes are expected to slash up to nine minutes off a trip during peak hours between Pakenham and the City.
The upgrade will also provide better connections at Beaconsfield and links to O’Shea Road – which is going to be duplicated.
“Adding more lanes where they’re needed most will slash congestion and deliver faster, more reliable journeys from Chadstone right through to Pakenham,” minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said.
A full business case for Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway Upgrade has been submitted to Infrastructure Australia for final approval, and the business case is going to be released publicly once it is approved by the Australian Government.
This project is expected to support up to 600 jobs during construction.
Stage 1 of the Monash Freeway Upgrade – which is being delivered by Fulton Hogan – is currently under construction, with completion set for later this year. Early works on Stage 2 is expected to commence in late 2018 and construction of the new lanes is set to begin in 2019 after a tender process. The new lanes from Stage 2 of the upgrade are expected to open to traffic in 2022.
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Source: Premier of Victoria, The Age