The first stage of the North East Link’s Eastern Freeway Upgrades is powering ahead, with an eye-catching 23-metre tall piling rig arriving on site in the freeway centre median.
The massive piling rig is among more than 4 rigs now in the vicinity of this section of the site, with the latest addition kicking off major piling work to widen the Bulleen Road bridge.
The mammoth 70-tonne bored piling rig towers high within the freeway’s centre median and will be in place until November - building the new bridge foundations along the eastern side of the existing overpass.
These foundations will support the bridge deck, paving the way for Bulleen Road bridge to be widened from seven to ten lanes and include a separated pedestrian bridge for safer crossings.
Construction crews have also started work to realign the Bulleen Road entry and exit ramps for the Eastern Freeway and build shared path underpasses as part of the Bulleen interchange.
The upgraded Eastern Freeway will connect with the North East Link Tunnels at an upgraded interchange in Bulleen – fixing the missing link with the M80 Ring Road, slashing travel times by 35 minutes and taking 15,000 trucks off local roads a day.
The first major upgrade of the Eastern Freeway since the 1990s. The project will deliver new express lanes, new traffic management technology and Melbourne’s first dedicated busway, slashing travel times and improving public transport in Melbourne’s east.
Other improvements include new and upgraded walking and cycling paths, an upgraded Koonung Creek Reserve, as well as revitalised wetlands and waterways with new trees and plants, creating better connections for the community to access local shops, public transport, schools and open spaces.
The Eastern Freeway Upgrades will be delivered in 3 stages, with major works on the first of the 3 stages between Burke and Tram roads underway.