Cutting congestion In Melbourne’s surging south east

The South Eastern Roads Upgrades are jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments. (File: 342211)

The South Eastern Roads Upgrades have been completed early with major works on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road and the Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road finalised.

The Australian and Victorian governments have completed a suite of road projects in Melbourne’s outer south east – one year ahead of schedule.

The $1.5 billion south Eastern Roads Upgrade delivered 34 kilometres of new lanes – cutting congestion, improving safety and reducing travel times for the nearly 130,000 motorists that use these roads every day.

“Here in Victoria, we’re building more homes than any other state, while ensuring our fastest growing communities have less congested roads and better rail infrastructure to support more train services,” Victorian transport minister Danny Pearson said.

This will deliver extra lanes, traffic lights and upgraded intersections to improve safety and travel flow.

The massive package of works has delivered 41 new and upgraded intersections and more than 28 kilometres of shared use paths, giving pedestrians and cyclists more options to move around their local areas.

Motorists are already benefiting from the completion of the Golf Links Road Upgrade and the Pound Road West Upgrade.

New lanes have been added in each direction between Abbotts Road and South Gippsland Highway and new shared walking and cycling paths and traffic lights have been installed at several intersections.

The Hallam North and Heatherton Road Upgrade and Lathams Road Upgrade added an extra lane in each direction between Heatherton Road and James Cook Drive.

Safety barriers have been installed and a new bridge has been built over the Peninsula Link – creating a new lane over the freeway.

Construction of the South Eastern Roads Upgrade has created about 1700 full-time-equivalent jobs, with crews working more than three million work hours across the six projects since construction began 2021.

The South Eastern Roads Upgrade is part of the $3.1 billion Suburban Roads Upgrade – which is upgrading 12 key roads across Melbourne’s north and south east.

These works are jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments.