A contract has been awarded for the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade in north Melbourne to reduce congestion and ease travel times.
The contract to deliver the project has been awarded to Laing O’Rourke.
The project is part of the $2.27 billion Suburban Roads Upgrade – South Eastern Roads and Northern Roads package to upgrade suburban roads across the south eastern and northern parts of Melbourne.
The Australian and Victorian Governments are contributing $1.1 billion each for the package.
Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, Paul Fletcher, said the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade will help reduce travel times and improve congestion across the northern suburbs.
“Melbourne’s north is one of the fastest growing regions in the country and the Australian Government is committed to delivering these vital infrastructure projects to support this growth,” Mr Fletcher said.
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, said the upgrade includes duplicating 3.5km of Bridge Inn Road from two lanes to four lanes from Plenty Road to Yan Yean Road, improving access to Mernda Railway Station and Mernda Town Centre.
“Adding additional lanes in each direction will slash congestion and create safer journeys for the thousands of drivers who rely on Bridge Inn Road every day,” Ms Allan said.
The upgrade also includes the installation of a new walking and cycling path along Bridge Inn Road, as well as the installation of safety barriers.
Three new signalised intersections and a pedestrian crossing will also be installed, along with street lighting, road signage, drainage and landscaping.
A new bridge will also be built over the Plenty River, with the existing bluestone Morang Bridge to be retained and upgraded.
Victorian Member for Yan Yean, Danielle Green, said locals will reap the rewards of the upgrade.
“Our community understands how frustrating being stuck in traffic along Bridge Inn Road is – that’s why we’re widening Bridge Inn Road and adding these new road safety features to ease congestion,” Ms Green said.
“Melbourne’s north deserves to have safer and better journeys as they travel throughout the area – and that’s exactly what we’re doing by delivering this vital upgrade.”
Construction is scheduled to get underway in 2022 and is expected to be completed in 2025.
