Melbourne is set to take over Sydney as the most populous city in Australia.
The 2016 census, released by Australian Bureau of Statistics, found Australia's population has grown by 8.8 per cent to 24.4 million people since the last time it was measured in 2011.
With Melbourne recently taking home “World’s Most Liveable City” for the seventh year in a row, it is no surprise that the majority of new arrivals are flocking to the coffee, the culture and the general cool atmosphere of Melbourne.
Fast growth in an urban setting comes with a lot of opportunity alongside a need for infrastructure improvements to accommodate. The city of Melbourne is well aware of the needs associated with current and projected growth, and have responded with a large-scale, innovative upgrade of the heavily relied upon Monash Freeway. Read on to learn more about the upgrade, who is doing the work, and how it will benefit you.
Who is in charge of the upgrades?
Recognising the immediate need for an upgrade, the Victorian Government and Transurban have partnered up to plan and fund the improvements. At Membrey’s, we are thrilled to be working alongside the Victorian Government to ensure a better transit system for Melbourne residents, both now and in the future.
Where will the upgrades take place?
The upgrades will take place on a 30km stretch from Chadstone to Pakenham.
This area, also known as the M1 corridor, is critical to a huge number of Melbournians. This stretch of freeway is where over half of the Melbourne workforce is employed, where over three-quarters of Melbourne students study, and where one-third of Melbournians live.
Over 200,000 motorists use this stretch of freeway daily, with numbers expected to increase. In the past 10 years, the number of cars using the stretch has increased by 50 percent and the freeway has been at capacity during peak periods since 2010.
What will the upgrades include?
The benefits of this upgrade will come with the usual headaches of road construction. However, these will be minimised with efficient and quality traffic management solutions.
Below are the major improvements motorists will enjoy from the upgrade:
- Additional lanes
- New ramp signals
- New barriers
- Noise wall replacements and upgrades
- Improved lighting and drainage
- Widened bridges at eight locations
In addition, the following technological improvements will take place:
- New and upgraded ramp technology
- New and upgraded data stations which gather real time traffic data to feed into the freeway management system
How will the upgrades impact me and other motorists?
A lot of data collection and research has gone into the what and how of these upgrades. Once completed, motorists will enjoy the following benefits:
- 20% reduction in road collisions
- Reduced travel times
- Room for an additional 2000 cars in peak hours
- Room for 50% more vehicles on Hallan Pass
For you environmentalists out there, fear not! We have a comprehensive environmental policy to ensure motorists enjoy these upgrades without compromising the environment.
The Monash Freeway upgrade project began in September 2016 and is set for completion in 2018. The short term strains of construction on the freeway will result in long term gains of a faster, safer and more reliable journey on a previously congested stretch of freeway.
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If you have questions about any aspect of the implementation of this project, don’t hesitate to contact us for answers. In the meantime, start planning what you will do with the extra time you will gain once your commute time decreases with this new freeway!
