We're upgrading the Eastern Freeway with new express lanes, new traffic management technology, Melbourne's first express busway and a seamless connection to North East Link.

As with any major construction project, there will be times when our work activities unavoidably impact residents and businesses close to the project. We have management plans and controls in place to help minimise the impacts.

We'll work closely with local residents, schools, traders and local stakeholders to minimise impacts while delivering this essential project.

If you feel you are experiencing excessive impacts from construction, we encourage you to contact the project team on 1800 105 105 as soon as possible

• 10km of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths
• 11km of new and upgraded noise walls
• 1.8 million new trees, shrubs and grasses planted
• 16,000m2 of new Koonung Creek Wetland
• 3 upgraded walking and cycling bridges

How we manage impacts

Dust

We take action to avoid generating dust as much as possible. We reduce dust and limit its impact on the surrounding environment by:

• spraying work areas with water and eco friendly liquids to stabilise surfaces, especially on hot and windy days
• covering truck loads
• using street sweepers
• reducing the speed of construction vehicles
• monitoring air quality to ensure adequate controls are in place
• staging the clearing of vegetation to minimise exposed surfaces
• using remote controlled water cannons and mist spraying surfaces.

Lighting

Where we are required to work at night, we use temporary lighting to provide safe working conditions.

We limit light impacts on residential areas adjacent to work zones by positioning lighting to face the work areas, and away from residential properties where possible.

Minimising dirt and mud on roads

We’re committed to maintaining public safety and minimising dirt and mud on roads we use during construction.

Measures we take include:

• limiting the number of access points to and from each construction site
• using crushed rock to temporarily pave busy haul roads on and around worksites
• limiting the number of construction vehicles using public roads as much as possible
• cleaning dirt and mud off construction vehicles at site exit points by using controls such as rumble grids
• placing rumble grids at each of our exit points
• cleaning any dirt and mud that our vehicles may have left on public roads
• regular inspection of work sites and local roads
• where possible, we build direct access to worksites from the freeway for heavy vehicles and machinery, reducing the need for trucks to use local streets.

Contaminated/ hazardous materials

Managing contaminated material is a normal part of major construction, especially when working in urban areas. We’ve conducted thousands of soil tests to understand ground conditions, but in the event that unexpected material is found, we have processes to manage this safely to protect the community and our workforce.

If unexpected material is identified, our crews will set up an exclusion zone and manage the site, which is done in accordance with relevant legislation and regulations.

Licensed removalists will attend the site wearing personal protective equipment. They are trained to safely handle and dispose of any hazardous materials that may be present, in line with strict Environmental Performance Requirements (EPRs), the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and Worksafe guidelines.

Traffic and detours

During construction, you’ll notice changes on local roads. This includes additional construction traffic, lane closures, speed reductions and detours. There’ll also be some temporary changes to walking and cycling paths.

To keep traffic and pedestrians moving we:

• limit construction traffic and project vehicles on major roads during peak travel times
• use tailored traffic management plans for each construction area to make sure vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians can move safely and efficiently around work areas
• use safety barriers to keep people and road users separate from our works
• have traffic controllers, electronic signs and reduced speed limits to help you travel safely
• provide clear and up-to-date information for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians via social media, the project website, letterbox drops and doorknocks with affected residents and businesses
• where possible we build direct access to worksites for heavy vehicles and equipment, reducing the need for trucks to use local streets
• support people living close to works to get in and out of their property.

Air quality

We actively monitor air quality via monitoring stations set up close to worksites. The data collected at these stations is audited by an independent body.

We have plans in place to control airborne pollutants contributing to air quality, including:

• maintaining vehicles and plant in good working order
• limiting vehicle movements
• switching off idling engines
• Environmental Management plans for spoil management during excavation, stockpiling and transportation, including inspections.

Trees and vegetation

We work with qualified ecologists and arborists to determine which trees need to be protected and which trees need to be replaced through new planting. Where tree removal can’t be avoided, we:

• clearly mark trees for removal and tag trees to be retained
• conduct pre-removal inspections to identify any trees where animals may live
• safely relocate animals under the supervision of a project ecologist before tree removal works go ahead
• re-use trees for landscaping and urban design, or for local community and sustainability projects
• plant two new trees for every one removed

Construction noise and vibration

Strict mitigations and controls are in place to make sure construction noise is managed and complies with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria guidelines. These controls include:

• choosing materials and equipment that minimise noise
• using alternate construction methods to reduce noise impacts
• limiting out-of-hours works wherever we can and providing advance notice to the community
• actively monitoring noise levels and taking action to reduce noise wherever possible
• mitigating noise at the site, such as using noise blankets, adjusting machinery and installing of hoarding around the site.

Our standard day time working hours are 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 1pm on Saturdays. At times, we’ll need to work at night and on weekends. We’ll notify affected residents and businesses in advance of any out-of-hours works. Vibration is modelled to determine whether vibration may be experienced as a result of our works. Any potential areas of vibration are monitored to ensure any effects of vibration are minimised.

Managing noise at night

To keep traffic moving on freeways and arterial roads, and for the safety of our workers, sometimes we need to carry out works at night.

Although we follow specific noise requirements and plan carefully to avoid noisy works at night, some noisy night work is unavoidable.

We manage impacts for nearby residents and businesses with a range of measures such as adjusting the time of planned works, offering temporary relocation, or changing construction methods to reduce noise.

Smart monitoring

We use a system of smart monitors to gauge noise, vibration and air quality across our worksites. These smart devices help us identify sources of excessive noise and dust in real time.

These monitors are small and easy to move, which means we can place them in areas we predict may have higher impacts.