Overview

Planning work is continuing for the Watson Street Interchange Upgrade at the Hume Freeway in Wallan. The project will add an outbound exit ramp and an inbound entry ramp, improving access, reducing congestion and travel times, and providing safer journeys.

Planning progress

Initial planning work completed includes traffic modelling, social studies and initial environmental investigations. These have helped us to understand environmental and social impacts, develop design options, and confirm scope and costs of different options.

Options investigated included:

• adding an outbound exit ramp at Watson Street and the Hume Freeway
• adding an inbound entry ramp at Watson Street and the Hume Freeway
• upgrades to Watson Street to improve capacity and safety.

A business case has been completed, which examined the interchange upgrade in detail to recommend a design and identify the best delivery approach.

Community and business feedback

From 17 July to 6 August 2023, we asked for community and business feedback via Engage Victoria to help inform our planning for upgrades to the Watson Street Interchange. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide feedback.

Feedback has helped us understand how people currently use the interchange and Watson Street as well as their views on safety, traffic flow and what we should consider in our planning. We also heard how businesses operate and use the road network.

Feedback highlighted strong support for an upgrade to the interchange to reduce travel times, boost road capacity and make it easier and safer to walk and cycle in the area. 98% of community respondents support an upgrade of the Watson Street Interchange and improvements to Watson Street.

For more information on what we heard, view the Community and Business Consultation Summary (PDF, 490.9 KB).

Next steps

Planning work is continuing as the upgrade moves towards construction. Key activities include:

• Detailed environmental investigations to further understand flora and fauna which might be impacted by the upgrade.
• Refining the upgrade’s design and developing appropriate plans to reduce and mitigate any impacts on the environment.
• Preparing a Cultural Heritage Management Plan to outline measures to ensure Aboriginal cultural heritage is recognised and safeguarded.
• On-site investigations including identifying underground utilities, testing ground conditions, drainage and flood modelling.
• Appointing a construction partner.

Construction timelines will be known once our planning has progressed further.

Upcoming investigations

We’re undertaking a range of site investigations along Watson Street, between Northern Highway and Commercial Drive, and on Hume Freeway to support the development of a reference design and gather information about ground conditions and soil quality.

These investigations are expected to take place until Friday 20 December 2024 and will involve:

• pavement investigations
• geo-technical investigations
• environmental assessments

To complete these investigations safely and minimise impacts on traffic during the day, some activities will need to take place at night between 7pm and 6am, from Monday 25 November to Friday 6 December 2024.

What to expect

These works are expected to produce moderate to high-level noise, dust, and vibration.

We’ll temporarily lower the speed limit to 40km/h, and there will be some short-term lane closures on Watson Street and Hume Freeway.

Delays of up to 10 minutes are expected. We encourage you to plan your journeys and allow extra time when travelling through the area.

Factsheets