Seven of Wyndham’s busiest roads will be duplicated and widened over the next six years in a mammoth $1.8 billion state government upgrade.
The state government has called for expressions of interest for eight “high-priority” road upgrades spanning nearly 30 kilometres, and including:
•Widening Dunnings and Palmers roads from Point Cook Road to the Princes Freeway.
•Duplicating Palmers Road between Princes Freeway West and the Western Freeway with two lanes each way, including the realignment of Palmers Road across Sayers Road.
•Duplicating Derrimut Road between Sayers and Dohertys roads to provide two lanes in each direction.
•Duplicating Leakes Road between Fitzgerald and Derrimut roads to give two lanes each way.
•Duplicating Dohertys Road between Fitzgerald Road and Grieve Parade, from two lanes to a four-lane divided carriageway, including a bridge duplication.
•Duplicating Dohertys Road between Foundation and Palmers roads from two lanes to a four-lane divided carriageway.
•Duplicating Forsyth Road to four lanes, including realigning Forsyth and Old Geelong roads, and widening the Forsyth Road bridge.
•Constructing new westerly-oriented entry and exit ramps from Princes Freeway West to Duncans Road and replacing the existing bridge over Princes Freeway West.
A state government spokesman said works on the upgrades are slated for early 2018 and would be completed by the end of 2022, with the specific projects to be staggered over four years.
It will not be known what order the works will be completed until the contracts have been awarded.
The spokesman said the suite of works was chosen based on numbers of road users, population growth and the benefits to local communities, while the business case suggested the upgrades would deliver a high return on investment.
Premier Daniel Andrews said this was “one of the biggest ever projects to update suburban arterial roads”.
Wyndham council chief executive Kelly Grigsby said she was thrilled with the announcement.
“Our residents continually tell us that traffic congestion and transport related issues are their highest priority,” Ms Grigsby said.
“This investment in Wyndham’s road network is critical.
“The state government has indicated that feedback on designs for the upgrades will be sought, and we will of course be encouraging works that will create maximum benefit for Wyndham commuters.”
