Construction commences on VIC's $110m Chandler Highway Upgrade

Major construction work has commenced on the new Chandler Highway bridge, which is part of the $110 million Chandler Highway Upgrade project in Victoria.

The project will include building a brand new bridge over the Yarra River at Alphington as well as widening the Chandler Highway to six lanes. Once completed, the upgraded stretch of road will help slash travel times, improve reliability and remove one of the most notorious bottlenecks in Melbourne.

“We promised to remove this notorious bottleneck, and major construction has started – we’re getting on with it.

“The new bridge will boost reliability and slash travel time – meaning less time in traffic and more time at home,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.

The new bridge is going to be progressively lifted into place next to the old bridge, minimising the impact to traffic. The old 126-year-old bridge will be preserved and it is going to be converted into a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.

By mid-2018, traffic will be switched to the new bridge and the final stage of the project is set to be completed by late 2018.

“Chandler Highway connects Melbourne’s northern growth areas to the inner east and the CBD, that’s why we’re investing in a new, wider bridge that will reduce congestion and slash travel times,” Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said.

Construction is also underway to remove the dangerous and congested level crossing on Grange Road near the Chandler Highway – which will be gone by 2019.

The Chandler Highway Upgrade project is expected to create more than 100 jobs during construction.

Source: Premier of Victoria