Traffic nightmare predicted as Hoddle St closes for major upgrade

MOTORISTS can expect delays of up to an hour in the Hoddle St area from today as the road shuts for eight days for a major upgrade.

HODDLE St hell has begun with motorists facing up to an hour’s delay as the road shuts for a major upgrade.

VicRoads is relying on hope and motorists altering travel plans or staying off the roads entirely as Melbourne’s busiest arterial road is closed between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade for eight days.

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Drivers have been warned that the works will cause delays of up to an hour and clog nearby Alexandra Parade and Smith, Brunswick and Nicholson streets.

But the chaos could extend to Richmond and Kew as motorists attempt to avoid the Eastern Freeway.

Hoddle St drivers will face up to an hour’s delay during works on the city’s busiest arterial road. Picture: Jason Edwards

VicRoads acting chief executive Peter Todd hopes drivers will plan ahead and spread out across the road network.

“We’re urging drivers to think and plan ahead as we get to work on Hoddle St during this coming week,” he said. “We’re expecting people to change their journeys to other routes right across the network.”

The around-the-clock construction will cram three months’ worth of work into eight days.

It will strengthen the bridge over the Eastern Freeway and demolish the centre of Hoddle St to allow for a third lane leading onto the freeway.

The $60 million project is aimed at getting drivers off Hoddle St and onto the freeway quicker and cutting peak-hour queues at Hoddle and Johnston streets from 340m to less than 100m.

web Hoddle St Delay 650 800

Hoddle St’s closure comes as Melbourne hits the halfway point of train pain caused by widespread works across the network.

A record number of buses are replacing trains, including on the city’s busiest Cranbourne/Pakenham line where signalling at Caulfield Junction is being upgraded.

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It is the biggest restoration of the line’s overhead and power system in 20 years and will prevent the wires from sagging in summer and snapping in winter.

Acting Public Transport Minister Philip Dalidakis thanked passengers for their patience.

“By next Wednesday crews will have installed 16km of overhead wire, getting our network ready for bigger and better trains,” he said.

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