Motorists are being warned to brace for another summer of pain as construction ramps up on road and rail projects.
The forecast delays will be caused by the state government’s planned maintenance on major roads and train lines, and comes one year after bridge works sparked nightmare delays on Melbourne’s West Gate.
The first big disruption will be on Citylink, which will close in both directions between Footscray and Dynon roads for a weekend from December 8.
The works are for the installation of a huge steel beam that will create the link between the new elevated road on Footscray Road and CityLink.
There will be a series of night time closures along the West Gate Fwy, between Williamstown Rd and the M80 Ring Road throughout the summer to install 50 new overhead gantries.
Three of five citybound lanes will also be closed from Boxing Day to January 4, causing significant delays.
Wurunjeri Way will also be closed between Dudley St and Bourke St from mid-January to early March. And lane closures will occur on the West Gate Fwy between Millers Rd and the M80 interchange from January to March.
The ramp to the M80 Ring Rd Greensborough bound will also be closed for a number of weeks.
Traffic to slow on the Eastern Fwy for the next five years
The transport minister announced traffic flow along the busy Eastern Fwy will be slowed down for the next five years, until at least 2028.
Speeds have now been reduced to 80km/h during the day between Burke Rd and Doncaster Rd, and 40km/h at night .
M80 Ring Rd to close during the summer
Traffic travelling on the M80 Ring Rd this summer will also face delays, as the state shuts down lanes at various times.
The lanes will be closed overnight between Greensborough Rd and Plenty Rd.
Tram works in inner city Melbourne
Drivers won’t be the only travellers to face delays, with major works disrupting a number of inner city tram routes.
Between January 2 to 11, works will take place on the intersection of La Trobe and Swanston streets, requiring parts of the road to completely close down.
There will be detours in place and service changes to tram routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 16, 30, 35, 64, 67 and 72.
General road works to disrupt traffic at Narre Warren and Cranbourne
Traffic delays will also extend to drivers outside inner city Melbourne, with works expected to impact roads in Melbourne’s outer south.
The intersection of Evans Rd and Hall Rd will close from January 12 to 28, as crews upgrade the Narre-Warren and Cranbourne roads.
The intersection of the Western Port Highway and Hall Road will also be closed in all directions until December 20.
The Victorian government’s solution to the road disruption has been to divert drivers and transport users to the PTV app.
The navigation app will be told ahead of time this year to ensure there’s no repeat of last year’s traffic chaos.
“Plan ahead, check the PTV website, check google maps to work out the impact this is going to have in terms of your travel time,” transport minister Danny Pearson said today.
