Christmas traffic: Traffic in Melbourne busiest on Fridays in December

THINK traffic is bad in Melbourne now? Just wait for the next four Fridays before Christmas.

IF you think Melbourne traffic has been bad lately, it’s only going to get worse.

VicRoads data shows that the busiest days of the year on the city’s road network are the Fridays before Christmas.

The next four Fridays are expected to be the most crowded days, with the busiest periods ­between 3pm and 6pm.

These dates are expected repeat the peaks experienced in the past three years.

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An increase in traffic volumes at this time of year means longer than normal delays.

Overall traffic volumes rise by between 5 and 8 per cent during December as people go shopping and attend festive functions.

Melbourne’s patchwork of freeway works and level-crossing removals has added to ­motorists’ frustrations this year, with the Christmas rush adding to queues.

VicRoads journey services director Sameem Moslih said the increase in traffic volumes at this time of year meant longer than normal delays across the network.

“In the last few years, we found the busiest roads in Melbourne are the Monash Freeway and the Tullamarine Freeway,’’ Mr Moslih said.

“Delays around shopping centre approaches such as at Chadstone and Westfield Doncaster are the longest.”

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Hoddle Street is the city’s No. 1 congestion hotspot. Picture: Ellen Smith

VicRoads said it would monitor traffic flows and tweak traffic signals to ease congestion.

The city’s No. 1 congestion hotspot is Hoddle St from the Eastern Freeway off-ramp to Bridge Rd. Up to 40,000 vehicles use that stretch daily.

VicRoads is planning to ban parking along Hoddle St to try to reduce travel times during morning and evening peaks.

Some traders on the Abbotsford side of the commuter corridor said the clearway plan was only needed during the morning rush hour and that parking and access was needed for their businesses to survive.

The CityLink Tulla widening project which is adding lanes along 24km of freeway from the city to Melbourne Airport is expected to be completed next year.

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@IanRoyall