Motorists are getting a first look at brand-new additional lanes on Bridge Inn Road, as Mernda and Doreen’s largest road upgrade takes a huge step towards widening the key arterial from 2 to 4 lanes.
Drivers are in for a smoother ride from this winter, with 6.4 km of the new westbound lanes opening to traffic.
As works progress on the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade, crews will be moving traffic onto sections of the new lanes until early 2024 to set up new work areas and upgrade the existing eastbound traffic lanes.
Traffic on Bridge Inn Road will be shifted onto the newly built sections of road, between Plenty Road and Plenty River. This will enable crews to set up new work areas on the opposite side of Bridge Inn Road to upgrade the eastbound lanes.
Traffic will then move onto new lanes between Bassetts Road and Independence Boulevard, and between Windermere Parade and Yan Yean Road.
While crews undertake this work, motorists should observe changed traffic arrangements and be aware of local road and access closures, including:
- the right turn from Bridge Inn Road onto Garden Road will be removed temporarily. This change will maintain safety by removing the risk of side collisions and help maintain traffic flow by reducing queuing behind turning vehicles
- drivers will only be able to turn left in and left out of the intersection. U-turns will be available at the roundabout on Yan Yean Road
- access to Ivanhoe Grammar School will be maintained with traffic using a shared right turn with through traffic during these works
- to safely build the new turning lanes and kerbs on Bridge Inn Road, Station Road, College Road, and Lexington Avenue will close temporarily at Bridge Inn Road until early 2024, with local detours in place.
During these works, motorists are asked to observe changed traffic arrangements, including speed reductions to 40km/h.
One lane in each direction will be open along Bridge Inn Road while we continue to build the extra lanes and upgrade key intersections.
These traffic arrangements will be in place until early 2024. Access will be maintained for emergency services in the area, including the Doreen CFA.
Crews recently commenced major works on the new 68-metre bridge over the Plenty River, installing 33 precast super-T beams, each measuring up to 32 metres in length.
Once complete, the existing century-old bluestone bridge will be transformed into a separated walking and cycling path, better connecting the growing community to local schools, shops, public transport and employment.
The project is replacing the existing 2-lane heritage bridge with a purpose-built 4-lane bridge, which when complete will improve traffic flow and reduce traffic lengths, making travel through Melbourne’s northern suburbs safer, and easier and supporting future growth in the north.
Bridge Inn Road is being widened from 2 to 4 lanes between Plenty Road and Yan Yean Road, removing a significant bottleneck and improving access to the new Mernda Railway Station and Mernda Town Centre. The project includes 9.5 kilometres of new lanes, 3 new sets of traffic lights and 3 intersection upgrades, boosting capacity, improving safety for pedestrians and reducing travel times for the 17,000 drivers who use the road every day.
The Bridge Inn Road Upgrade is jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian governments.
Check for up-to-date Bridge Inn Road Upgrade information before you travel at bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions.