Multibillion-dollar arterial roads boost launched in Melbourne's west
Eight of the most congested major roads in Melbourne’s western suburbs are being widened to cope with more traffic and several bridges will be strengthened to handle heavier trucks, as part of a $1.8 billion state government contract.
The Andrews government has entered into a series of 20-year public-private partnerships, valued at $4 billion, to improve and maintain hundreds of kilometres of Melbourne’s arterial road network in the city’s west, north and south-east.
It is the first time an Australian government has used a public-private partnership to complete suburban arterial roadworks.
Private consortiums will pay the upfront costs for which they will receive quarterly payments from the state over a 20-year period to maintain the condition of the roads.
The contracts are focused on keeping the roads in good shape and avoiding gridlock as another 1 million people are projected to move into Melbourne’s outer suburbs in the next two decades.
The government released land for 12 new suburbs on the urban fringe last week, which are expected to provide 50,000 homes in 15 years.
Bridges on critical freight routes will also be strengthened for heavier and larger trucks, on roads including Ballarat Road, Hyde Street and Geelong Road.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan visited the Hyde Street bridge in Spotswood, where work is taking place, on Monday.
“At the same time as we’re making this big investment in the local roads that people use every day to get to school to work, to sporting commitments, it’s also creating jobs,” Ms Allan said.
“We expect over 1000 jobs to be created over this western roads program.”
The eight roads in the west that will be upgraded include Dunnings Road, Derrimut Road, Palmers Road, Dohertys Road, the Forsyth Road interchange and the Duncans Road interchange.
According to government documents, the private sector will be financially penalised if the condition of the road network falls below a certain standard, in a performance-based contract similar to those struck with Metro Trains and Yarra Trams.
Penalties will apply for a failure to reach agreed targets in eight performance measures, including road surface quality, the response to defects, emergencies on the road and even public communications.
But the successful bidders will also be awarded the right to explore other unspecified commercial opportunities along the roads they manage, from which the state may also take “a share of net revenues”.