Drivers in Melbourne’s busy south east are closer to safer and less congested roads with major construction on the Western Port Highway Upgrade to get underway in late February.
The Australian and Victorian governments have awarded Downer EDI Works the contract to build the Western Port Highway Upgrade.
The upgrade will create a total of about 350 direct jobs throughout construction, while improving safety and managing the traffic flow onto and off the Western Port Highway.
The Australian Government and Victorian Government are funding both projects on a 50:50 basis, with each contributing $57.5 million toward the Western Port Highway Upgrade project.
Major construction of the Western Port Highway Upgrade will start this month, allowing crews to demolish the existing roundabouts, reduce medians and prepare the site for critical construction activities. This early construction will pave the way for critical works to take place from March, and the new intersections to open before the end of the year, benefitting the 17000 vehicles that use this intersection every day.
Replacing the roundabouts at the intersections of Ballarto Road and Cranbourne-Frankston Road with traffic lights will better manage traffic flow and will allow all 4 sets of traffic lights along the 6km stretch of Western Port Highway from Thompsons Road to Cranbourne-Frankston Road to be sequenced.
This will make traffic flow more easily, easing congestion, making travel times more reliable for freight, commuters and locals.
As part of the upgrade, intersections will be widened and dedicated right turn lanes and left turn slip lanes will be added to improve traffic flow.
The project will build on improvements already delivered by the Thompsons Road Upgrade and Hallam Road Upgrade and, together with a huge program of upgrades to Melbourne’s roads in the south east including the Hall Road Upgrade, Lathams Road Upgrade and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade , will add further capacity to the local road network and provide safer and more reliable journeys.