Drivers travelling to and from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs will benefit from shorter, more reliable travel times as part of North East Link.
The project will create a vital link between the Eastern Freeway and the M80, carrying up to 135,000 motorists daily and reducing travel times by up to 35 minutes.
Currently during peak hour, speeds along the Eastern Freeway can drop to 45km/h. But with planned upgrades, lane widening and Victoria’s first dedicated bus lane, motorists can expect to travel at 85km/h during peak and 100km/h in the off peak.
Motorists could see a total travel time savings of up to 11 minutes on the Eastern Freeway between Springvale Road and Hoddle Street.
Planned upgrades also include lane widening on the Eastern Freeway, as well as Victoria’s first dedicated bus lane, which will provide safer and faster trips for bus passengers across the state’s busiest routes.
An upgraded Doncaster Park and Ride and new Park and Ride in Bulleen will also ensure more people have access to the improved busway.
The busway will connect direct to the recently upgraded Hoddle Street, which introduced 24/7 clearways for dedicated bus lanes between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade.
The dedicated bus lane will cut bus travel time by 30 per cent from Doncaster to Hoddle Street.