M80 Ring Road Completion Urban Design and Landscape Plan

Watsonia-Road-bridge-Watsonia-view-facing-east.jpg - Artist’s impression of Watsonia Road bridge with additional walking and cycle paths, trees and plants.

Before construction of permanent above-ground buildings or structures for the M80 Ring Road Completion got underway, an Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) was exhibited for public comment from 9 to 29 October 2023 so local people could give feedback on local elements of the design for their area.

The UDLP shows the project design and explains how it meets strict requirements set through community consultation for the Project’s Environment Effects Statement (EES).

In response to submissions received on the UDLP, we made some further changes to the project design including:

Extra walking and cycling connections to Watsonia Station and shops with paths along both sides of the landscaped bridges at Watsonia Road and Elder Street.
More trees and plants including at the M80 Ring Road wetlands and Trist Street Reserve.
New connections to the M80 Trail including to help fix the missing link to Uni Hill Town Centre.
Greener views of noise walls and bridges for residents including climbing plants in key locations on the community side of noise walls.

The UDLP was approved by the Minister for Planning in September 2024.

In December 2025 the UDLP was further refined with minor adjustments to designs for noise walls and retaining walls to suit localised ground conditions as well as landscape design improvements to allow for utility and road safety clearances as well as other maintenance access. The number of wetland plants at Trist Street Reserve was also increased.

You can see a copy of the approved UDLP which includes these updates and the Community Consultation Report from the public exhibition in 2023 below:

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