Melbourne Airport to Bulla Road
Construction Update May 2016
Work to start on next section of freeway upgrade
Work on the Melbourne Airport to Bulla Road section of the CityLink Tulla Widening project will
soon begin.
The project will add an extra lane in each direction and upgrade key interchanges along the 24
kilometre section of freeway from Melbourne Airport to Power Street in the city.
Lendlease will deliver the Melbourne Airport to Bulla Road section of the project, on behalf of
VicRoads.
This section of work involves adding a lane in each direction on the Tullamarine Freeway, as well as
upgrades at key interchanges, including Mickleham Road and English Street and new ramp signals on
the Tullamarine Freeway and some inbound entries on the Calder Freeway.
Safety barriers will begin to be placed along the Tullamarine Freeway from late May, to create a safe
work area for our team. This will be achieved by reducing lane widths, placement of temporary
yellow line marking and the installation of the safety barriers. The number of lanes on the freeway
will be maintained during peak periods.
Speed limits along the freeway will be reduced following the installation of these safety barriers. We
encourage motorists to follow these speed limits and to plan their trip in advance to avoid potential
delays.
Much of the construction work will be undertaken behind these safety barriers from now until the
project is completed in mid-2018, between the hours of 7am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. Some
night works will need to be performed due to the complexity of the works and to ensure the safety
of the general public and the construction workers behind the barriers. We will ensure the
community is notified well in advance of any night works taking place near their properties.
Over the coming months you can expect to notice the presence of workers, introduction of reduced
speed limits, changes on the Tullamarine Freeway, and on ramps entering the Calder Freeway,
survey and investigative works, deliveries of plant and equipment, light and heavy vehicles accessing
various sites along the length of the project and the start of earthwork activities including
installation of various services. Necessary trimming and clearing of vegetation will also begin along
the freeways.
There will be some traffic detours and lane and road closures required along Tullamarine Freeway,
Calder Freeway, M80 Western Ring Road, Mickleham Road and other adjacent local streets.
Appropriate warning of any impacts will be advised in advanced.
For more detailed notifications and to find out more about construction work happening in your
area during the course of the project, visit www.citylinktullawidening.vic.gov.au, or refer to the
more detailed diagram below.
Construction at a glance
In the next few months, you can expect to see a range of works being undertaken along the
Tullamarine Freeway. The diagram below provides an overview of key activities, with more detailed
information available at www.citylinktullawidening.vic.gov.au.
Where
When
What
Mickleham Road
June 2016 mid 2017
Widening and strengthening of the Tullamarine
Freeway bridge over Mickleham Road.
Mickleham Road to
Melrose Drive
June 2016
Installation of safety barriers on the Tullamarine
Freeway both inbound and outbound.
Melrose Drive to Bulla
Road
Late May 2016
Installation of safety barriers on the Tullamarine
Freeway inbound.
Mascoma and
Coventry Street
July 2016 to
mid-2017
Establishment of a small construction site to service the
bridge widening and strengthening of the Tullamarine
Freeway over the ARTC rail line. Temporary closures of
paths and the Moonee Ponds Creek trail (detours will
be in place).
Vaughan Street
July 2016 to
late 2016
Removal and reconstruction of Earl Street pedestrian
bridge. Detours will be in place for pedestrians.
Earl Street
July to late
2016
Removal and reconstruction of Earl Street pedestrian
bridge. Detours will be in place for pedestrians.
Area adjacent to
English Street bridge,
over the Tullamarine
Freeway
June 2016 to
late 2016
Preliminary piling works will be undertaken in
preparation for the English Street bridge removal and
reconstruction.
English Street Bridge
The reconstruction of the English Street Bridge is a major part of our project. This bridge will be
rebuilt to cater for an additional lane in each direction on the freeway underneath, and will be
widened to provide an additional lane in each direction on the bridge to increase capacity to
Essendon Fields.
The two pedestrian bridges at Vaughan and Earl Streets will also be removed and reconstructed to
allow for the freeway widening works.
Once these works are complete, road users will benefit from additional lanes, less congestion and
improvements to the look of the area around English Street Bridge.
Some early works to prepare for the new English Street Bridge will begin in late May 2016. Most
major construction in this area will occur in 2016 and early 2017, including the removal of the
English Street bridge, which will be removed over a period of up to six weeks from January to
February 2017.
The Vaughan and Earl Street pedestrian bridges will be removed in July 2016 for up to a six month
period.
We will keep the community and businesses informed of major works, and will provide advance
notice of any major disruptions and clearly sign and communicate detours.
Improvements to the Mickleham Road interchange
Making our roads safer and removing congestion is a key objective of the CityLink Tulla Widening
project. The Mickleham Road interchange upgrade will provide a range of improvements that will
significantly reduce the weaving and congestion currently experienced by motorists.
The interchange upgrade will include:
•
•
•
•
Creation of a dedicated lane between Mickleham Road and the M80 Ring Road to eliminate
the weaving of traffic
A new lane exiting from the Tullamarine Freeway to the M80 before the Mickleham Road safely separating traffic exiting and entering
An additional lane to the entry from Mickleham Road to the Tullamarine Freeway making it
easier to enter the Freeway
The elevation of the dedicated lane linking the Tullamarine Freeway to the M80 so it can
cross over the Mickleham Road entry ramp.
Work on the Mickleham Road interchange will begin in mid-2016 and will be completed in 2018.
Initial works will begin in the centre median of the Tullamarine Freeway over Mickleham Road
behind the safety barriers.
Key activities will include piling works, bridge construction, widening of the pavement and tree
clearing. Other activities in this area include noise monitoring, utility services, relocation and
installation of temporary services and investigation works.
Given the nature of these works, some night time works will be required. Residents will be notified
of night works taking place near their properties.
Calder Freeway ramp signals
A freeway management system will be installed on the Tullamarine Freeway, including overhead
electronic signs, ramp signals and variable message signs, to better manage traffic flow.
As a large volume of traffic on the southern part of the Tullamarine Freeway comes from the Calder
Freeway, ramp signals will also be installed at seven inbound entry ramps on the Calder Freeway
between Kings Road in Keilor North and the Tulla Calder interchange. These entry ramps include
Kings Road, Melton Highway, Green Gully Road, Keilor Park Drive, the M80 Ring Road, Moorna Drive
and McNamara Avenue.
While the works on the Calder Freeway inbound will mainly be limited to the installation of the ramp
signals on the entry ramps, some of the ramps will also need to be widened.
Why yellow lines?
Temporary yellow line markings will be used to show drivers they have entered a road work zone
and to improve lane visibility making the area safer for both road users and workers.
Trials have found that yellow line marking provides motorists with a clearer visual guidance for new
lane configurations than white line marking. Helping motorists to navigate along the freeway during
construction is a number one priority for Lendlease and VicRoads, which is why yellow line marking
is being used during construction.
We encourage motorists to follow these yellow lines and to take care as they adjust to the new
conditions on the freeway.
Keeping you informed
Lendlease and VicRoads will continue to keep you informed about upcoming construction activities,
including when and where work is happening and about detours.
We will visit businesses and interested stakeholders, hold information sessions, issue email updates,
newsletters and letterbox notifications and attend community events. If you would like to be placed
on the mailing list for these updates, please email [email protected] or phone 1300
783 947 and select option 2 to make an appointment to meet with a member of our team.
Contact details
For further information please call 1300 783 947 (select option 2), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Email: [email protected]
Web: citylinktullawidening.vic.gov.au
Please call 131 450 for information in another language