Commonwealth gives green light to Melbourne Airport $350m elevated road project
Melbourne Airport’s notorious congestion issues could soon be a thing of the past, with plans for a new elevated high road approved by the federal government.
Future Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Future Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Work will begin on a $350 million elevated road network to Melbourne Airport by the end of this year.
The major roads project — directly linking the Tullamarine Freeway to the airport’s transport hub and carpark opposite terminal four — was last week given the green light by the Federal Government.
When complete, it promises to cut travel times and traffic congestion for millions of passengers travelling to and from Melbourne Airport every year.
“This project is a major congestion-buster and when complete will deliver a huge change in how passengers experience their drop off at Melbourne Airport,” parking and ground access chief Lorie Argus told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“It will deliver massive savings in travel time for passengers heading to their flights, as well as for the tens of thousands of people who work at the airport every day. Local residents should also notice a dramatic change to both the number of cars and the way they move around the airport, freeing up local roads for the people who most need them.”
The Express Link would allow drivers heading to the terminal four transport hub to bypass at least two intersections, providing more direct and faster access from the Tullamarine Freeway.
When complete, it would also connect to a new transport hub in the carpark for terminal one, two and three, removing vehicles from the congested entry ramp and Airport Drive and improving traffic flow, particularly in the peak morning period, she said.
Forty per cent of travellers were picked up or dropped off in the free public lanes of the Melbourne Airport forecourt and another 13 per cent made use of one of the precinct carparks, Ms Argus said.
“When we have the complete road in place, we’ll be removing more than half the traffic volume from the Centre Road intersection with Departures Drive,” she said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack said when complete the elevated road project would slash travel times and traffic congestion.
RELATED NEWS
AIRPORT’S DESPERATE NEED FOR THIRD RUNWAY
MELBOURNE AIRPORT TRAVELLERS WARNED TO EXPECT DISRUPTIONS
“Melbourne Airport has listened to passenger concerns and is addressing them by planning for the sustainable long-term growth of the state’s premier air gateway,” he said.
Construction of the first stage of the T4 Express Link was expected to start soon and be completed within 15 months, Mr McCormack said.
About $350 million would be invested in the elevated road network, which would be delivered in three stages between the end of this year and 2023, he said.