A new chapter for the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade has been marked with a traditional Aboriginal smoking ceremony. Wurundjeri woman, Michelle Mills performed the ceremony and spoke about the significance of the tradition.
The ceremony marked an opening of our new site compound with construction partner Laing O’Rourke, which will soon be the central hub for hundreds of workers who will building new lanes and improving intersections over the next couple of years.
We're committed to working in partnership with the Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Community to deliver cultural, economic and social outcomes which recognise Wurundjeri’s cultural significance of the area and leave a positive legacy.
Earlier this month, we started preparing the site compound on the corner of Bridge Inn Road and Cookes Road by installing fencing and preparing the ground surface.
The site once complete will service as a base for the project’s engineers, support staff, labourers and machine operators. On completion of the road upgrade, the site office and fencing will be dismantled, and the area will be restored to its original or similar condition.
The smoking ceremony signals not only the commencement of works at the site, but also the commencement of major works for the whole project.
Works update
From mid-June to mid-July crews will begin to install traffic safety barriers along the length of Bridge Inn Road to protect motorists and pedestrians from construction machinery and create a safe environment for our workers.
We’ll safely install these barriers at night to take advantage of when the road is quietest. We’ll need to close sections of Bridge Inn Road and reduce speed limits during these works. Detours will be in place, so plan ahead and allow extra time if travelling between 8.30pm and 5.30am.
Also in June, work will begin on a section of Cookes Road to excavate a trench and install pipes to connect the sewer for our site office.
Cookes Road will be closed in both directions from 7am and 5pm between Saturday 4 June and Sunday 6 June. Detours will be in place and we’ll maintain access to local properties and businesses.
Commuters are also urged to plan ahead for when a small section of the southern car park at the Mernda Railway Station is closed next month, when works ramp up to widen Bridge Inn Road and re-align the shared walking and cycling path.
Drivers can continue to access the southern carpark from Bridge Inn Road, however from mid-July, the first entry to the southern carpark will be temporarily closed. The northern carpark will remain open during this time.
The Bridge Inn Road Upgrade will improve local connections and journey reliability for more than 17,000 drivers who use this busy east-west corridor every day. It’s scheduled for completion in 2025.
Find out more about the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade.