Vehicles have taken their inaugural journeys underneath the Kilmany Rail Bridge to mark another major milestone on the Princes Highway East Upgrade. Melbourne-bound traffic has been switched onto the newly built Princes Highway lanes between Velore and Maffra-Rosedale roads, including lanes that run under and west of the Kilmany rail bridge.
All legs at the intersections of Sale-Toongabbie and Settlement roads, along with the intersection of Velore Road were also opened, providing dedicated turning lanes for motorists to access the Kilmany service road, Kilmany Township and Kilmany Transfer Station.
The third and final stage of the Princes Highway East upgrade is adding an extra 5 km's of consistent 2 lane highway, delivering a total of 43 km's of duplicated highway across the 3 stages of the project.
The new lanes will bring immediate safety improvements for up to 15,000 motorists who use this stretch of road every day and improve journey times between Traralgon and Sale.
A range of safety improvements will be delivered including, wider shoulders and centre median with flexible safety barriers to improve safety by reducing the risk of run-off road and head-on crashes.
This stretch of road is also a gateway to a range of Gippsland tourist destinations including the snowfields and Gippsland Lakes, with the duplication set to make travel safer for day-trippers and holidaymakers.
The Princes Highway East Upgrade is due to be completed in 2024.