The Pakenham Roads Upgrade has reached the final milestone with the Racecourse Road Upgrade finished around 9 months ahead of schedule.
With another major project now complete, Victoria’s Big Build transformation of Pakenham has delivered lasting improvements to the area's road, rail and health network.
With these major transport infrastructure investments finished and the Pakenham Community Hospital set to open later this year, the region is continuing to benefit from enhanced connectivity, accessibility and liveability.
Racecourse Road is a key link in Pakenham in Melbourne’s growing south east, supporting thousands of daily trips and improving connections for local communities, freight operators and commuters travelling to and from the Princes Freeway and surrounding arterial road network.
In a flurry of milestones across the year to date, the new intersection with traffic lights at Bald Hill and Racecourse roads opened in February, followed by the new intersection with traffic lights at Campbell Street and Railway Avenue in May, with all lanes on Racecourse Road opening to traffic in June, further easing congestion and improving access through this important local corridor. Since then, finishing works have proceeded at pace to complete the project with the installation of signage and landscaping.
As part of the upgrade:
- crews laid more than 14,000 tonnes of asphalt
- placed 20,000 tonnes of crushed rock
- installed 2.3 kms of new drainage and over 1 km of conduits.
Public safety has also been greatly improved through the installation of 33 new light poles to complement the new paths and signalised pedestrian crossings throughout the upgrade area.
In total, more than 309,000 hours of work have been completed on the Racecourse Road Upgrade, reflecting the scale of delivery and sustained momentum of construction activity across the project.
This project supported the delivery of the Victorian Government’s Major Projects Skills Guarantee, with almost 20,000 hours completed by cadets, trainees and apprentices. These opportunities provide valuable on-the-job experience while helping build the skilled workforce needed to deliver Victoria’s Big Build and future transport infrastructure projects.
The project has also delivered strong social value and inclusion outcomes, engaging 9 Aboriginal businesses and 9 social enterprises, while creating opportunities for underrepresented groups and incorporating recycled and low-impact materials throughout delivery.
This has included the use of 14,000 tonnes of recycled material in construction, the diversion of 3,600 tonnes of construction waste from landfill, and the avoidance of approximately 1,300 tonnes of CO₂-e emissions through green alternatives.
The Racecourse Road Upgrade unlocks the final benefits of the Pakenham Roads Upgrade with a seamless connection to the upgraded Princes Freeway interchange, and together with the recently completed Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade providing over 11 kms of new separated lanes and shared-use paths between Pakenham and Koo Wee Rup.
As part of the Racecourse Road Upgrade, crews also increased the capacity of Pakenham Creek with new, larger pipes replacing existing ones beneath Racecourse Road, reducing flood risk for the road and nearby properties.
This upgrade is part of more than $1 billion in major transport and community investment across Pakenham in recent years, including 3 level crossing removals, new stations at Pakenham and the East Pakenham, upgrades to Healesville Koo Wee Rup Road and construction of the Pakenham Community Hospital.
Together, these provide significant benefits for one of Victoria’s fastest growing communities, cutting congestion, improving safety and supporting easier access to jobs, services and healthcare, including the new hospital.
Read more about the Pakenham Roads Upgrade.