Project DescriptionThe 28km long Western Ring Road extends from the junction of the Princes and West Gate Freeways, Laverton to Sydney Road (Hume Highway) Fawkner. The Western Ring Road is part of the M80 which also incorporates the 10km long Metropolitan Ring Road. The Western Ring Road carries up to 142,000 vehicles per day with up to 16% commercial vehicles.
A series of capacity and safety improvement works will be undertaken at key locations on the Western Ring Road.
This project will continue beyond the current Nation Building Program. BenefitsLane widening and safety improvement works on the Western Ring Road will:
- Enhance the capacity;
- Improve traffic flow;
- Improve reliability by mitigating weaving and diverging of traffic;
- Maximise traffic flow; and
- Reduce congestion on the road network.
FundingThe Australian Government is contributing $900 million to the Western Ring Road upgrade with the Victorian Government contributing $300 million. TimetableInitial lane widening works on the Western Ring Road between the Deer Park Bypass interchange and Boundary Road commenced on 6 December 2008 and were completed and opened to traffic on 30 July 2009.
Works to widen the Tilburn Road bridge commenced on 6 December 2008 and are expected to be completed in May 2010.
Construction to upgrade the Western Ring Road between the Tullamarine Freeway and Sydney Road commenced in December 2009 and is expected to be completed in late 2012. Current works include:
- Widening to three lanes in each direction and a fourth lane between some interchanges to provide for traffic entering the freeway at one interchange and exiting at the next;
- Intelligent Transport Systems to manage traffic flow; and
- Reconfigured freeway interchanges and ramps where required.
A contract for the first stage of works on the Western Highway to Sunshine Avenue section (Furlong Road to Sunshine Avenue) was awarded on 13 May 2010.
Planning for the rest of the project is continuing and other sections of the Western Ring Road will be progressively upgraded as part of the Australian Government's Nation Building Program. Photo Gallery |