26 September 2024

We’re upgrading the Eastern Freeway with new express lanes, new traffic management technology and Melbourne’s first dedicated busway. These changes will slash travel times and improve public transport in Melbourne’s east.

We’ll also connect the Eastern Freeway to the new North East Link tunnels in Bulleen – cutting travel time between Melbourne's north and east by 35 minutes and taking 15,000 trucks a day off local roads.

As we overhaul the Eastern Freeway, we’ll build new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, bridges and underpasses, upgrade Koonung Creek Reserve and Parklands, revitalise wetlands and waterways and plant new trees and plants.

A tougher noise standard and new and upgraded noise walls will also deliver better noise protection for residents.

  • 6 new express lanes
  • Up to 11 minutes saved on the Eastern Freeway
  • Connection to the 6.5km North East Link tunnels
  • 18 traffic lights skipped to the M80 Ring Road
  • Up to 29 minutes saved to Melbourne Airport
  • 15,000 trucks a day off local roads

Construction is underway for the first stage of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Burke Road to Tram Road.

6km of new express lanes

New express lanes and upgraded lanes where they're needed most to ease congestion and cut travel times.

  1. Express lanes between Tram Road and Bulleen Road.
  2. New Doncaster Road bridge.
  3. Upgraded entry ramps at Elgar, Doncaster and Bulleen roads for smoother merging.

6.5km North East Link tunnels joined to the Eastern Freeway

Fixing the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network.

  1. New lanes and ramps for a traffic light free connection.
  2. Bulleen Road and Thompsons Road kept for local trips.

11km of new and upgraded noise walls

A better noise standard of 63 decibels during the day and 58 decibels at night – a first for a road project in Victoria.

  1. New noise walls from Burke Road to Bulleen Road.
  2. New noise walls from Bulleen Road to Doncaster Road including for Koonung Creek Reserve.
  3. New noise walls from Doncaster Road to Tram Road, including at Valda Wetlands.

Where possible, we’ll keep or upgrade existing concrete noise walls to reduce construction disruption.

12km of walking and cycling paths

An improved Koonung Creek Trail.

  1. Lighting upgrades for Musca Street Reserve underpass.
  2. New Bulleen Road bridge and underpasses.
  3. New Estelle Street bridge.
  4. Upgraded Koonung Creek Trail through Koonung Creek Reserve, pedestrian paths, rest areas, fitness and bike repair stations.
  5. Upgraded Doncaster Road underpass.
  6. New underpass through to Doncaster Park & Ride.
  7. New Heyington Avenue bridge.
  8. Upgraded Koonung Creek Trail at Valda Wetlands, pedestrian paths, seats and viewing areas.

1.8 million new trees and plants

Extensive reinstatement to return improved open spaces where it is needed to support construction.

  1. New 16,000m² Koonung Creek wetland area.
  2. Upgraded Koonung Creek Reserve with open lawns, more trees and plants, fitness stations, BBQ and picnic areas.
  3. Reconfigured and expanded Valda Wetlands. The 43,700m² wetland precinct will be joined with a rebuilt Koonung Creek with indigenous trees and plants, new seating areas, and new and upgraded paths.

To view the project design in detail, visit bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/roads/easternfreeway-upgrades

Big Build Eastern Busway

11km of dedicated bus lanes along the Eastern Freeway will slash travel times for more than 6 million trips a year.

  1. Dedicated busway lanes between Doncaster Road and Hoddle Street.
  2. New Bulleen Park & Ride. The first piece of the Eastern Busway is open to passengers now, four years early.
  3. Upgraded Doncaster Park & Ride. Major construction will start in early 2025.
  • Travel speeds up to 100km/h
  • 30% faster trips
  • 2 Park and Rides
  • Double the number of car parking spaces

Improving your journey

The Eastern Freeway Upgrades will overhaul how one of Melbourne’s busiest freeways works.

Up to 180,000 vehicles a day rely on the Eastern Freeway. Currently during the peak, travel speeds through the busiest sections from Chandler Highway to Middleborough Road can be as slow as 45km/h, with some of the worst congestion around entry and exit ramps.

The upgraded Eastern Freeway will work smarter and faster. Dedicated lanes for express trips, the Eastern Busway and ramp upgrades will fix bottlenecks and keep traffic moving.

Peak hour travel speeds will increase from 45km/h to more than 85km/h, and 100km/h in the off peak.

The Eastern Freeway is the last freeway in Melbourne to have smart traffic management technology installed.

We’ll be adding overhead electronic signs, coordinated ramp signals, travel time signs, vehicle sensors and CCTV cameras to better manage traffic flow and respond in real time. For drivers, this means safer, more reliable journeys and less congestion.

Project benefits

Heading into the city?

Save up to 11 minutes.

Heading north?

Save up to 35 minutes and skip 18 sets of traffic lights between the Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road.

Getting ready to fly?

No traffic lights between EastLink and Melbourne Airport - and avoid inner city traffic.

Truck or delivery driver?

Eastern Freeway Upgrades and North East Link mean faster and more reliable travel times.

Community feedback

Shaping your local area

More than 16,000 pieces of community feedback since 2017 have shaped the project design for the Eastern Freeway Upgrades.

From 2018 to 2019, community input to the project’s Environment Effects Statement (EES) helped set stringent requirements which must be met for the project design, construction and operation.

We're now exhibiting Urban Design and Landscape Plans so local people can help refine local elements of the design in their area.

Designs for the connection to the North East Link tunnels and surrounding area were exhibited for feedback in 2022. Designs for the rest of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades: Burke to Tram were exhibited for feedback in 2023.

Designs for the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Hoddle Street to Burke Road, and Tram Road to Springvale Road will be exhibited for feedback as we bring builders on board from 2025.

You can read more on our website at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/ roads/eastern-freeway-upgrades/planning-and-approvals

In response to your feedback, the project design now includes an extra 1.2 kilometres of upgrades to Koonung Creek Trail, more trees and plants kept in Koonung Creek Reserve and more BBQ areas, fitness stations and other improvements to Koonung Creek Reserve and Parklands.

Tree planting program

To build the new express lanes, busway, noise walls and walking and cycling bridges and paths, trees will need to be removed where we’re working.

For every tree removed, at least 2 will be planted, including extensive planting to reinstate Koonung Creek Reserve and Valda Wetlands.

We’ve also started planting trees early in local places nearby including parks and reserves.

10,000+ new trees will be planted for the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Burke Road to Tram Road.

Upgrading the Eastern Freeway

As we build the Eastern Freeway Upgrades, there will be major changes to lanes and travel speeds. Areas of Koonung Creek Reserve and Koonung Creek Parklands will also need to be used to support construction with detours in place for Koonung Creek Trail. To stay up to date on works in your area, sign up for updates at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/roads/email-and-sms-updates

The Eastern Freeway Upgrades will be delivered in stages and timed to open around the same time as the North East Link tunnels from Bulleen to Watsonia and the M80 Ring Road Completion from Watsonia to Greensborough.

For languages other than English please call 9209 0147.

If you need assistance due to a hearing or speech impairment, please visit relayservice.gov.au

Download

Eastern Freeway Upgrades Design Update - September 2024 (PDF 2.6 MB)