Overview
Work to upgrade the CityLink Tulla Freeway between Bulla Road and Power Street began in October 2015 and was completed in December 2017.
Stage 1 of the upgrade:
- added new lanes in both directions
- added a new separated road to Bell Street from the Tullamarine and Calder freeways
- added a new Bell Street to Pascoe Vale Road connection
- upgraded the interchange at Flemington Road and Mount Alexander Road
- upgraded the Bolte Bridge and West Gate Freeway connection
- installed a new freeway management system and incident response system.
New separated road to Bell Street
A new 2 lane road was built to connect the Calder and Tullamarine freeways to Bell Street, reducing weaving, which was a major cause of congestion in this area.
The old inbound Bell Street exit on the Tullamarine Freeway was permanently closed. The new Bulla Road and Bell Street exit opened in July 2017, providing the last opportunity to exit before entering CityLink.
Bell Street interchange upgrade
At Bell Street interchange, we:
- built a wider and longer freeway entry ramp with new traffic signals
- built a new bridge connecting Bell Street to Pascoe Vale Road.
Entry ramp signals control the flow of traffic and ease congestion on the freeway.
Flemington Road/Mount Alexander Road interchange upgrade
This busy interchange was made safer and more reliable by changing how traffic flows through the area.
As part of this upgrade, we:
- added a new 2 lane bridge connecting Mount Alexander Road to Flemington Road
- added 2 new lanes on the Flemington Road exit ramp
- removed access from Lennon Street to Boundary Road
- added a new shared walking and cycling path on the Mount Alexander Road Bridge
- changed traffic light sequences throughout the interchange to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
Upgrading the Bolte Bridge inbound connections to the West Gate Freeway
Extra lanes and new technology was added on the Bolte Bridge and West Gate Freeway to reduce congestion and improve safety.
West Gate Freeway improvements
An extra freeway lane was built and new technologies installed to assist with merging more safely onto the freeway during peak times on the West Gate Freeway.