The Australian government has joined the state of Victoria in prioritising the Stage 2 upgrade of the freeway. It is the final stage of the AU$1.4bn Monash Freeway Upgrade, being delivered by Major Road Projects Victoria.
The second stage of the upgrade will expand the Monash from eight to ten lanes between Springvale Road and EastLink, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road – cutting nine minutes off a morning peak hour trip between Pakenham and Malvern.
Prime minister Scott Morrison said “This project is a top-order congestion-busting priority for Melbourne and we’re going to get it done.”
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Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said the upgrade would significantly improve safety and reduce congestion for the 470,000 drivers making trips on the Monash each day. “We’ve already delivered the first stage of upgrades on the Monash and we’re getting on with the next – to get people in Melbourne’s booming south east home safer and sooner,” he said. “The extra lanes will slash nearly ten minutes off the morning peak hour commute into town, and better connect the Monash with Eastlink.”
Victorian minister for transport infrastructure Jacinta Allan said the next stage of upgrade to the Monash is part of the Victorian government’s more than AU$50bn investment in Victoria’s road and rail network. “The next stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade is part of our unprecedented investment in Victoria’s road and rail network – to get people home safer and sooner, wherever they live,” she said.
Construction of the new lanes will start early 2020 and is expected to be completed in late 2022.
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