Works on Melbourne freeways set to cause summer gridlock

Motorists hitting the road post-lockdown will have to hit the brakes as works ramp up. Find out how your journey will be affected.

Motorists are being warned of delays on the West Gate Freeway due to planned works. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

Motorists hitting the road after lockdown will also be hitting the brakes.
Victorians are being warned to brace for major roadworks across several key freeways as infrastructure upgrades ramp up in warmer months.

The Monash Freeway, the M80 Ring Road across Melbourne’s north, feeder roads to the new Mordialloc Freeway in the southeast, and the West Gate Freeway will all be hit by lane closures, overnight shutdowns, or low speed limits due to resurfacing.

The Monash faces a go-slow until the New Year, with the surface being replaced between Warrigal Rd near Chadstone shopping centre and Cardinia Rd in Pakenham.

There will be overnight closures of the freeway inbound between EastLink and Warrigal Road, as well as some daytime lane closures, in October and November.

The asphalt replacement is part of the second stage of the freeway widening project, which also includes new electronic traffic management systems so that lane filtering is enhanced and cars merge more smoothly.

The Monash Freeway faces a go-slow until the New Year. Picture: Mark Stewart

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said there was “an incredible amount of work” being done to get projects finished quickly and the end result would be motorists getting home “safer and sooner”.

“These upgrades are a huge win for all drivers – as it’ll allow them to spend less time stuck in traffic and more time doing the things they love with their friends and families,” she said.

On the M80 Ring Road, lanes are being added and interchanges upgraded along the 38km stretch of freeway between Laverton North and Greensborough.

In early November, the Edgars Rd Greensborough-bound exit ramp will be closed for the weekend, while in January the Hume Fwy Greensborough-bound ramp to Edgars Rd will be closed to connect a new elevated structure.

Roadworks are expected to cause delays and disruptions. Picture: Sarah Matray

Other lane and ramp closures will also hit motorists at various stages of Spring and Summer, with the Sydney Rd Greensborough-bound entry ramp currently closed until Monday morning.

Major Roads Project Victoria program director Ray Paterson said groundwork had been undertake in winter months so crews could “forge ahead” during warmer weather.

“While these works may cause some minor delays and disruption, every effort will be made to complete these upgrades as quickly as possible,” he said.

The West Gate Freeway faces several ramp closures over the next two weeks to upgrade connections as part of the West Gate Tunnel project.

Teams will work around the clock to widen the freeway from eight to 12 lanes, with Grieves Parade, Williamstown Rd, and the M80 ramps impacted.

Motorists are encouraged to check work schedules online and seek alternative routes where possible, such as Footscray Road or Dynon Road, and allow an extra 15 minutes travel time.

Meanwhile in the southeast, the final asphalting for connections to a new Mordialloc Freeway will impact motorists on the Mornington Peninsula Freeway between Thames Promenade and Springvale Road.

Some northbound lanes are currently closed, while southbound lanes will be closed from 9pm on November 5 until the following Monday morning.