The 165,000 motorists using the M80 Ring Road daily will see a more reliable, smoother and safer drive with more than $1 billion being invested to upgrade and widen the remaining sections of the freeway.
The Andrews Labor Government has announced $350 million to complete the M80 Ring Road all the way from Laverton to Greensborough to slash travel times and boost safety.
The 7.9 kilometre section from Princes Freeway to the Western Highway, 4 kilometres between Sydney Road and Edgars Road and 2.4 kilometres from Plenty Road to the Greensborough Highway will be upgraded to connect to the already improved sections on the freeway.
The M80 will widened from three to four lanes in each direction from the Princes Freeway to the Western Highway and from two to three lanes from Plenty Road to Greensborough Highway.
Interchanges will be upgraded where the M80 Ring Road meets the Princes Freeway and Greensborough Highways to eliminate weaving and improve traffic flow.
A new, dedicated lane from M80 Ring Road to Edgars Road will be built to remove the dangerous weaving that currently exists with drivers coming off the Craigieburn Bypass.
A freeway management system, which includes overhead speed limit signs and ramp signals, will provide a connected system all the way from Greensborough across Melbourne’s freeway network through to the Monash Freeway.
Residents in key growth areas such as Wyndham, Melton, Whittlesea and Hume will benefit from the upgrade and be able to get to other freeways such as the West Gate, Hume or Tullamarine freeways quicker and easier.
Victoria’s economy will see a major boost, with the freight industry and the 22,000 trucks which use the Ring Road daily benefiting from a safer and smoother run between the Port of Melbourne and the major freeways.
This upgrade will also see the full integration with the Western Distributor, providing more options for people travelling to and from the west.
The Labor Government is already upgrading the M80 from Sunshine Avenue to the Calder Freeway to remove bottlenecks and add extra lanes on the EJ Whitten Bridge, which is due to be completed by late 2018.
The $1 billion M80 Ring Road Upgrade is a joint project funded by the Victorian Government and Australian Government.
Early works will commence in mid-2017.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“We’re putting people first by finishing the M80 Ring Road and creating a safer and smoother drive – whether you’re from Wyndham or Whittlesea, heading to the airport or to regional Victoria.”
“We’re upgrading the M80 to complete this vital missing link and give people a faster and safer drive.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020