In an Australian first, the Victorian Government has called for Expressions of Interest for a $1.8 billion road upgrade and maintenance works package for Melbourne’s outer-west roads to cut travel times, improve safety and better connect communities.
The western package of the Outer Suburban Arterial Roads (OSARs) Program combines eight high-priority road upgrades with maintenance of more than 700km of road stretching from Werribee to Footscray.
Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, said, “This is one of the biggest ever projects to update suburban arterial roads – and it’s going to create jobs, cut travel times and congestion and improve safety.”
The upgrades will involve a combination of duplication and widening works to western arterial roads including:
- Dunnings Road and Palmers Road, from Point Cook Road to Princes Freeway, Point Cook
- Palmers Road, from Princes Freeway to Western Freeway, Truganina
- Derrimut Road, from Sayers Road to Dohertys Road, Tarneit
- Leakes Road, from Fitzgerald Road to Derrimut Road, Truganina
- Dohertys Road, from Fitzgerald Road to Grieve Parade, Laverton North
- Dohertys Road, from Foundation Road to Palmers Road, Truganina
- Princes Freeway/Forsyth Road interchange, Hoppers Crossing
- Duncans Road interchange, Werribee/Werribee South
The package will transform the outer-western road network by boosting capacity and improving road pavement conditions with intersection upgrades, almost 30km of lane duplication, and road maintenance.
The eight high-priority road upgrades will be delivered within five years, and the maintenance and rehabilitation contract will continue for a further 20 years.
Victorian Treasurer, Tim Pallas, said, “Victoria is breaking new ground with this project, one that stacks up, and will protect our liveability by building a safer and more reliable network.”
The Request for Proposal is expected to go out in early 2017, with construction expected to begin 2018.
Submissions for Expression of Interest close 9 December 2016.
