Lanes to ease congestion

Travelling from Docklands to the airport and northern suburbs should become easier with plans for new lanes to be added to the Bolte Bridge.

Extra lanes will be added to the Bolte Bridge in an aim to curb congestion on CityLink’s Tullamarine corridor.

The additional lanes are part of an $850 million upgrade of CityLink between the West Gate Freeway and Melrose Drive on the Tullamarine Freeway, which will be funded by City Link owner Transurban.

Former premier Denis Napthine last month announced that the Government had signed a deal with Transurban to deliver the project.

He said the project would significantly improve traffic conditions on the Citylink Tullamarine corridor, which was one of the busiest roads in Melbourne, carrying 210,000 vehicles every day.

“The CityLink Tulla Widening project will boost capacity on the primary road route to the airport by 30 per cent and deliver travel time savings of up to 16 minutes on trips between Melbourne Airport and the West Gate Freeway during peak periods,” Dr Napthine said.

Extra lanes will be added in each direction between the Bolte Bridge and the Tullamarine Freeway to Melrose Drive, Essendon Fields, along with extra lanes on the Bolte Bridge and a section of the Westgate Freeway (eastbound) between Bolte Bridge and Power St.

The project will also see a freeway management system introduced, which will include lane use management, ramp metering, CCTV cameras and variable message signs.

Works will begin in early 2015, with major construction work on the freeway commencing in October next year.