We cut the ribbon on this 9km freeway in November 2021, achieving practical completion 4 weeks ahead of schedule, and since then the benefits of this outstanding arterial have been analysed by an independent assessment.
We commissioned Arup Australia to undertake an independent assessment of the Mordialloc Freeway to measure its benefits and to gain an understanding around its performance in the years since its construction.
Arup Australia’s final report was recently completed with the Mordialloc Freeway project undoubtedly showing its value to the community, highlighting:
- sizable time savings
- improved safety
- decreased congestion
- removing freight off local roads.
The Mordialloc Freeway Upgrade aimed to improve connectivity and reduce congestion in the growing south eastern suburbs of Melbourne, which it has achieved according to the independent assessment.
Trips using the Mordialloc Freeway, compared to an equivalent journey prior to the freeway’s construction, have slashed peak hour journeys with a time saving of between 28% to 55%. These time savings aren’t just reserved for the freeway itself, as the upgrade has taken significant congestion off parallel arterial roads.
For drivers on Boundary Road/Wells Road and Springvale Road, morning and evening commutes are far more efficient with a time saving of up to 33% for peak hour journeys.
Intersection delays have also reduced on key intersections at Wells Road/Springvale Road (21% reduction) and Boundary Road/Governor Road (52% reduction) during the worst performing peak hour, helping traffic get through these major intersections significantly quicker than before.
These benefits also have reduced the incidence of crashes on these key roads and intersections since the opening of the Mordialloc Freeway. Fatal and serious crashes have reduced by 30% while the far more common rear end crashes have reduced by 14% on parallel arterial roads.
While the Mordialloc Freeway scope does not directly involve any upgrades on the parallel arterials roads, they indirectly have benefited because of traffic shifting onto Mordialloc Freeway instead of using these roads.
The Mordialloc Freeway has proven its merit as it has significantly improved connectivity in Melbourne’s south east between the Mornington Peninsula Freeway in Aspendale Gardens to the Dingley Bypass in Dingley Village. Also built with the freeway was an 8km long shared walking and cycling path, creating an uninterrupted path from Aspendale Gardens to Dingley Village and improving access to community spaces such as Braeside Park and Chadwick Reserve.
Watch our video that looks back on the construction of the Mordialloc Freeway.