General project questions [view all]
What is the project aiming to do?
What exactly are they doing?
How significant will disruption to traffic be?
Will there be any changes to entry and exit points?
Who is managing the project?
What is being done to protect the environment?
How can I find out more?
Monash Freeway [view all]
Where is the Monash Freeway section?
When will works finish?
Are the works being completed in sections?
What changes will be made to the freeway?
How much disruption will there be to traffic?
Where is Southern Link?
What are the timelines for this section?
What works are involved in this section?
What kind of disruption to traffic will there be?
Will there be extra lanes in the tunnel?
Will I still have to pay tolls?
Will you be increasing tolls to pay for this project?
What will happen to the bike path during construction?
West Gate Freeway [view all]
Where is this section?
When will the works be complete?
What does the West Gate Freeway project involve?
How is this project being delivered?
Will new tolls apply?
West Gate Bridge strengthening project [view all]
What does this section of the upgrade include?
Why is the West Gate Bridge being strengthened?
What works will take place?
Will the West Gate Bridge works cause traffic congestion during the construction period?
How is this project being delivered?
Noise monitoring [view all]
What changes will there be to noise walls in the Monash section?
What changes will there be to noise walls on the Southern Link section?
Will traffic noise levels increase as a result of this project?
Do all households have their traffic noise levels monitored?
How accurate are the traffic noise level measurements?
Will noise barriers be altered as a result of the findings?
Will there be an upgrade to existing noise walls as part of the project?
Can you be sure the noise walls will be able to accommodate the road design required?
Will the effectiveness of the noise walls lessen over time?
What are the VicRoads and Transurban traffic noise level obligations?
Why are the traffic noise level obligations different between VicRoads and Transurban?
General project questions
What is the project aiming to do?
The project is expected to:
- Reduce congestion;
- Improve safety;
- Improve reliability along the freeway; and
- Reduce incidence of casualty crashes by up to 20 per cent.
What exactly are they doing?
Specific works include:
- Building an additional lane in each direction on the Monash Freeway and Southern Link between Glenferrie Road and the CityLink tunnels;
- Widening the West Gate Freeway between the CityLink tunnels and the Bolte Bridge to reduce weaving and merging movements
- Implementing a state-of-the-art freeway management system that includes ramp signalling and real time traffic information
How significant will disruption to traffic be?
During construction our objective is to minimise disruption to motorists. Where possible, works requiring lane closures will be conducted outside peak hours and every endeavour will be made to maintain the current number of peak hour lanes.
Details of specific closures and works will be constantly updated on this project website under the Roadworks section.
VicRoads and Transurban are ensuring there are co-ordinated traffic management plans for the entire project.
Will there be any changes to entry and exit points?
Ramp signalling will be installed at entry points right along the route to facilitate smoother and safer entry onto the freeway. Every few seconds it changes red/green allowing you to go on the green so that traffic moves with the pace of the traffic that is on the freeway. This currently happens at a number of sites around Melbourne.
Who is managing the project?
The Monash-CityLink-West Gate upgrade is a partnership between the State Government, VicRoads and Transurban. The project is being planned, designed and constructed under a number of alliance agreements and design and construct contracts. This will provide greater flexibility in managing works to help reduce construction timeframes and traffic impacts.
The project is being delivered and managed over four geographic sections:
- Monash Freeway (east of Glenferrie Road to Heatherton Road)
- Southern Link (CityLink tunnels to east of Glenferrie Road)
- West Gate Bridge
- West Gate Freeway (West Gate Bridge to CityLink Tunnels)
What is being done to protect the environment?
VicRoads and Transurban have developed Project Environmental Protection Strategies (PEPS) to ensure the environment is protected during and post construction of the freeway upgrade. These provide guidance and specific action plans to ensure that the project is delivered in an environmentally responsible manner.
VicRoads and Transurban also work closely with stakeholders such as the Environmental Protection Authority, Department of Sustainability and Environment, Melbourne Water and local councils.
How can I find out more?
For more information about the Monash-CityLink-West Gate upgrade you can call the project information line on 1300 881 137.
You can also subscribe to our regular updates to ensure you receive the latest news on the project.
Monash Freeway
Where is the Monash Freeway section?
The Monash section starts just east of Glenferrie Road and ends at Heatherton Road.
When will works finish?
Construction is due for completion in late 2009.
Are the works being completed in sections?
This section is being constructed in three parts:
- The Glenferrie Road to Warrigal Road section is being delivered under an alliance contract between AbiGroup and SKM.
- The Warrigal Road to Jacksons Road section is a traditional design and construct contract with Negri contractors.
- The Jacksons Road to Heatherton Road section is a traditional design and construct contract being delivered by Fulton Hogan contractors.
What changes will be made to the freeway?
An additional lane is to be added in each direction between Hawthorn and Dandenong
- Glenferrie Road to Warrigal Road will be widened on the outside of the current lanes;
- Warrigal Road to Heatherton Road will be widened on the inside of the current lanes;
- Bridges at Gardiners Creek, Ferntree Gully Road, Jacksons Road, Police Road, Gladstone Road and Dandenong Creek are being widened
- Great Valley Road is being widened
- Ramps at High Street are being reconstructed
How much disruption will there be to traffic?
During construction our objective is to minimise disruption to motorists. Where possible, lanes closures will be limited to outside peak hours and every endeavour will be made to maintain the current number of peak hour lanes.
For the Monash section from Warrigal Road to Jacksons Road, construction will take place in the median with existing lanes realigned to maintain three lanes for traffic. This means however that there will be no emergency lanes for the duration of the construction period.
A reduced speed limit of 80km/h will also be in place for the construction period.
Details of specific closures and works are being constantly updated on the Roadworks page of this site.
Southern Link
Where is Southern Link?
The Southern Link section begins at the eastern end of the CityLink tunnels, to just east of Glenferrie Road, where CityLink joins the Monash Freeway.
What are the timelines for this section?
The majority of civil works on the Southern Link section are expected to be completed by the end of 2009; however the entire project incorporating the freeway management system will be finished in late 2010.
What works are involved in this section?
The upgrade will deliver an additional lane in each direction between the CityLink tunnels to where CityLink joins the Monash freeway, just east of Glenferrie Road.
Due to clever design, we only need to physically widen the road for approximately 800 metres by a width of approximately 3 metres, in the vicinity of Scotch College and HA Smith Reserve.
What kind of disruption to traffic will there be?
During construction our objective is to minimise disruption to motorists. Where possible, works will be conducted outside peak hours and every endeavour will be made to maintain the current number of peak hour lanes.
Details of specific closures and works will be constantly updated on the Roadworks page of this site.
Will there be extra lanes in the tunnel?
No. However by reducing congestion on the West Gate and Monash Freeways, CityLink will be able to use the tunnel more often to full capacity. This will reduce the need to close a lane during peak hour as is often the case to maintain emergency vehicle access should it be required.
Will I still have to pay tolls?
Tolls will still be charged if you choose to use CityLink over alternative routes.
Will you be increasing tolls to pay for this project?
No. The CityLink toll regime will not change as a result of this project.
What will happen to the bike path during construction?
The Southern Link project team has been working closely with Bicycle Victoria, Parks Victoria and the Cities of Yarra, Stonnington and Boroondara since the project was announced, seeking their input into potential impacts on the Yarra Trail.
As a result of these discussions, an earlier plan to reconstruct the MacRobertson Bridge Flood Wall which would have resulted in a closure of the path for up to six months has been eliminated, with Southern Link designers developing an alternative solution.
In the City of Boroondara's HA Smith Reserve, the bike path has been slightly to the north in order to accommodate the construction zone.
West Gate Freeway
Where is this section?
The West Gate Freeway section of the Monash-CityLink-West Gate upgrade is located between the CityLink tunnels and West Gate Bridge.
When will the works be complete?
Traffic lanes and ramps will be made available in stages, with the total project scheduled for completion in March/ April 2010.
What does the West Gate Freeway project involve?
These works will improve safety for drivers and increase the road's reliability and efficiency. One of the project's key aims is 'separation by destination' - this means the use of dedicated lanes on the freeway to improving traffic flows and reduce merging and weaving.
How is this project being delivered?
This project is being delivered through an alliance arrangement between the State Government through VicRoads, Baulderstone, Thiess, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Hyder Consulting. An alliance is an arrangement whereby the parties involved work collaboratively and share the risks and benefits involved. It will allow flexibility to ensure risks are properly managed and to help deliver the project in the shortest possible timeframe.
Will new tolls apply?
No - improvements to the West Gate Freeway are State-funded.
West Gate Bridge strengthening project
What does this section of the upgrade include?
The West Gate Bridge strengthening project encompasses the entire bridge structure between the Williamstown Road ramps at the west and just east of the Todd Road ramps on the city side of the bridge.
When will the works be complete?
The project is currently in the detailed structural analysis, development and design stage, concluding in early 2009.
Major construction works to strengthen the bridge and increase peak-traffic capacity will commence in the first half of 2009, with the entire West Gate Bridge strengthening project scheduled for completion in 2011.
Why is the West Gate Bridge being strengthened?
Strengthening is required to ensure the long term sustainability of the structure and increase the peak direction capacity of the bridge to five lanes.
What works will take place?
The project is currently in the detailed structural analysis, development and design stage. These construction options will be reviewed and the scope of works finalised in early 2009.
Will the West Gate Bridge works cause traffic congestion during the construction period?
Preliminary works, including site establishment and bridge access improvements, will start in late 2008 and will have a minimal impact on traffic flow and traffic times.
However, major bridge works may impact upon traffic flows due to the limited space available.
The project team will endeavour to develop innovative design and construction solutions to ensure the impact of bridge works is reduced on commuters and commercial traffic.
Additional measures may include:
- Scheduling of night works, where work is undertaken late at night or early in the morning;
- Scheduling of road works during holiday periods, when traffic volumes are historically lower; and
- Scheduling of works outside peak periods.
In the instance that any bridge works may significantly affect traffic flow, the West Gate Bridge Strengthening Alliance (WGBSA) will implement an extensive public communications program to enable members of the public to make informed travel decisions.
Details of specific lane closures and works will be constantly updated on the Roadworks section of this project website.
How is this project being delivered?
This project is being delivered through an alliance arrangement between VicRoads, the Flint & Neill Partnership, Sinclair Knight and Merz and the John Holland Group. An alliance is an arrangement whereby the parties involved work collaboratively as a team to deliver the project and share the risks and benefits involved. It will allow flexibility to ensure risks are properly managed and to help deliver the project in the shortest possible timeframe.
Noise monitoring
What changes will there be to noise walls in the Monash section?
As part of the project, existing noise walls which are physically impacted by construction works will be rebuilt to current standards, which is to attenuate traffic noise to less than 68dB(A).
Generally speaking, noise walls between Warrigal Road to Heatherton Road will not be impacted by the project as the road widening will occur on the inside of the current lanes.
For further queries regarding noise walls between Heatherton Road and Glenferrie Road please contact the Monash Project Office on 9780 3611.
What changes will there be to noise walls on the Southern Link section?
Where we need to rebuild noise walls as a result of the project, we will be replace with walls which will continue to ensure we remain within our mandated noise limits.
In consideration of the fact we are widening the road on the northern side, we are also building a new noise wall in the vicinity of HA Smith Reserve, which will deliver additional protection to residents and Scotch College.
There are no intended changes to the southern side of the road (in-bound) in this area, as these walls were upgraded in 2005 as part of another project.
The only existing noise wall that needs to be rebuilt on the in-bound carriageway, is a section approximately 150 metres long, from the Yarra River to the exiting tollway gantry.
For enquiries relating to noise walls on the Southern Link section (west of Glenferrie Road to CityLink) please contact the Southern Link Project Office on 1300 88 11 37.
Will traffic noise levels increase as a result of this project?
Predicted increases in noise levels due to increased traffic over the next 25 years are around 2dB(A)L10(18hour), a relatively small change which is difficult to discern with the human ear. Current traffic volumes would need to double before a 3dB(A)L10(18hour) increase is reached.
Do all households have their traffic noise levels monitored?
Locations where the highest average levels have previously been recorded are used for noise modelling across the corridor. Direct comparisons can then be made of the surrounding acoustic environment.
How accurate are the traffic noise level measurements?
Strict policies are followed ensuring the accuracy of noise measurements gathered. These cover the location of monitors, compliant instrumentation, certification of operators, measurement locations, measurement periods and, weather and traffic conditions.
Will noise barriers be altered as a result of the findings?
If the noise testing indicates that there is need for further noise minimisation, these works will be prioritised for funding in accordance with the Noise Abatement Program - Retrofitting.
Where the existing noise walls are physically impacted by construction works, they will be rebuilt to the current standards ensuring traffic noise is attenuated to less than 68dB.
Will there be an upgrade to existing noise walls as part of the project?
The noise walls between Warrigal Road and Heatherton Road are not physically affected by the project as the road widening will occur on the inside of the current lanes.
Can you be sure the noise walls will be able to accommodate the road design required?
Yes. Noise monitoring which dictates the location and type of noise attenuation method is carried out before the structural design phase which can then incorporate this detail.
Will the effectiveness of the noise walls lessen over time?
The VicRoads policy demands that for a new or upgraded road, the ‘whole-of-life' considerations both acoustically and physically need to take into account the requirements to achieve the 68dB(A)L10(18hour) noise level for a reasonable period after opening of a project. It must also take into account the time it takes to exceed the retrofitting trigger level, due to the growth in traffic volume over the life time of the barrier. Generally, projects are designed to ensure that the 68dB(A)L10(18hour) noise level is not reached for ten years after opening.
Under the terms of the CityLink Concession Deed, CityLink must not exceed a noise level of 63dB(A)L10(18hour) throughout the life of the road and this will continue to apply to Transurban's works after the close of the Monash-CityLink-West Gate upgrade project.
Should future noise testing and modelling ever show CityLink has or is in danger of breaching its mandated noise limits, it is required to take appropriate action. This is evidenced by improvements CityLink made in late 2005 to noise walls on the southern side of Southern Link. Despite the fact noise testing showed CityLink was still within its mandated limits, modelling indicated this could change by 2008 resulting in immediate action being taken.
What are the VicRoads and Transurban traffic noise level obligations?
VicRoads and Transurban have differing traffic noise minimisation obligations. VicRoads allows a traffic noise level of up to 68dB(A)L10(18hour) before noise attenuation is required. Transurban is legally obliged to comply with a maximum noise level of 63dB(A)L10(18hour) before action needs to be taken.
Why are the traffic noise level obligations different between VicRoads and Transurban?
CityLink operates under a Concession Deed which states that traffic noise levels must not exceed 63dB(A)L10(18hour), which is the same for new or ‘greenfield' roads.
The untolled sections of the Monash Freeway and West Gate Freeway are VicRoads responsibility and are subject to the VicRoads Traffic Noise Reduction Policy 2005. The M1 upgrade involves widening of the Monash and West Gate Freeway (existing roads) without the removal of existing houses to accommodate the widening, therefore the VicRoads Traffic Noise Reduction Policy of 68dB(A)L10(18 hour) applies.