- Additional construction contract signed as part of a $3 billion package of suburban and regional road upgrades in Victoria.
- Downer EDI Works will deliver the Western Port Highway Upgrade.
- As part of the upgrade, the roundabouts at Ballarto Road and Cranbourne-Frankston Road will be replaced with traffic lights to reduce congestion, improve safety and travel times.
- The upgrade will relieve congestion and improve safety for the 22,000 drivers who use the highway daily.
- The Western Port Highway Upgrade will create 354 direct jobs and 481 indirect jobs.
Drivers in Melbourne’s busy south-east are closer to experiencing safer and less congested roads, with construction on the Western Port Highway Upgrade now underway.
The Australian and Victorian governments have awarded Downer EDI Works the contract to build the project.
The upgrade will create about 350 direct jobs throughout construction, while improving safety and managing the traffic flow onto and off the Western Port Highway.
Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said this upgrade is vital to our economic post-pandemic recovery.
“The Western Port Highway Upgrade will create hundreds of Victorian jobs, while improving safety for thousands of motorists every day,” Minister Fletcher said.
“Upgrading the roundabouts at the intersections of Ballarto Road and Cranbourne-Frankston Road with traffic lights will help deliver safer and smoother trips for motorists through the area.”
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, the Hon Jacinta Allan MP, said the upgrades will ease congestion in Melbourne’s south-east.
“These upgrades will reduce congestion and make driving easier and safer for Victorians in Melbourne’s rapidly growing south-eastern suburbs,” Minister Allan said.
Victorian Member for Carrum Sonya Kilkenny said that it was exciting to see works kick off that will benefit thousands of local motorists every day.
“It’s great to see early construction get underway that pave the way for major works to take place from March, and the new intersections to open before the end of the year, benefitting the 17,000 vehicles that use this intersection every day,” Ms Kilkenny said.
“Replacing the roundabouts at the intersections of Ballarto Road and Cranbourne-Frankston Road with traffic lights will better manage traffic flow and will allow all 4 sets of traffic lights along the six-kilometre stretch of Western Port Highway from Thompsons Road to Cranbourne-Frankston Road to be sequenced.”
Victorian Member for Cranbourne Pauline Richards said as part of the upgrade, intersections will be widened and dedicated right-turn lanes and left-turn slip lanes will be added to improve traffic flow.
“This will make traffic flow more easily, easing congestion, making travel times more reliable for freight, commuters and locals,” Ms Richards said.
“The project will build on improvements already delivered by the Thompsons Road Upgrade and Hallam Road Upgrade and, together with other road upgrades in the area, will add further capacity to the local road network.”
The Australian and Victorian governments are jointly funding this $115 million project
Reviewed 02 February 2022