Following the announcement of shortlisted contractors in September, Victoria’s $711 million Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 marks another milestone with early works commencing at the Narre Warren site.
Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway Upgrade will be delivering 36 kilometres of new lanes which will slash travel time by approximately nine minutes.
This project will also include the installation of smart on-road technology at the South Gippsland Freeway to the Beaconsfield Interchange. This technology will provide drivers with live traffic information and it will help manage lanes to get motorists where they need to go - safer and faster.
Early works on this project is brought forward with the $111 million savings from the first stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade - which was delivered under budget. These works will include geotechnical work as well as drilling at the South Gippsland Freeway and Cardinia Road to review ground conditions of the locations where overhead Lane Use Management system gantries are going to be installed.
The business case for the Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 has been approved by the Federal Government and it is going to be released for public viewing in the coming days.
“Early works are underway, the business case has been ticked off and we’ve shortlisted contractors to build this massive project - we’re getting on with the second stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade,” Minister for Road and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said.
In addition to the upgrade, trucks will be permanently banned from the right-hand lane of the Monash Freeway following a six-month trial. From the time the trial was introduced, crashes along the route have been reduced by 40 per cent. Restrictions will continually be applied to trucks travelling in both directions between Huntingdale Road, Mount Waverly and Jackson Road, Noble Park.
“These right lane truck bans are reducing crashes, improving traffic flow and helping the 200,000 drivers that rely on the Monash to get home safely,” Mr Donnellan said.
Major construction activities are expected to commence in 2019 and the upgrade is due for completion in mid-2022.
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