The first part of Melbourne’s first dedicated busway is taking shape – with major works this winter on the fast-tracked Bulleen Park & Ride.
North East Link’s $69 million Bulleen Park & Ride will have parking for up to 370 cars, bike storage and pick-up and drop off bays – making it easier for people to use the fast, frequent bus services to and from the city.
The project will also include a 5000 square metre green roof, and will have new bike and walking paths connecting with Koonung Creek Trail and Thompsons Road.
As works ramp up, the second level of the car park is now taking shape. Crews have excavated more than 13 Olympic sized swimming pools of dirt (34,000m3), drilled a massive 626 piles and poured more than 3200m3 of concrete for the car park foundations.
When it opens, more than 1000 bus services will use the facility each week, providing direct access for passengers from Bulleen, Doncaster, Doncaster East and Templestowe.
The Bulleen Park & Ride will open by the end of 2022 – 4 years ahead of schedule – and will be used by Eastern Freeway bus services operating along Thompsons Road before the dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway opens in 2028.
The new bus station is first part of Melbourne’s first dedicated busway – which will allow buses to travel uninterrupted along an overhauled Eastern Freeway, cutting commute times for the 17,000 passengers that use Eastern Freeway buses each weekday.
There will be intermittent lane closures and reduced speeds on Thompsons Road, Bulleen until October as builders continue to construct the second level of the commuter car park before works start on the 5000 square metre green roof and community park.
Find out how you might be affected on our disruptions page.