- Published:
- Wednesday 8 June 2016
The Andrews Labor Government has begun construction in Melbourne’s west to boost traffic flow, improve freight access and increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan announced the start of works to the $40 million upgrade to Shepherds Bridge and the surrounding road network to increase capacity, reduce bottlenecks and provide cycling facilities. The works mean:
- Shepherd Bridge will be widened from two to four outbound lanes
- A new separated shared user path for cyclists and pedestrians crossing the Maribyrnong River
- Widening Moreland Street from two to four lanes with an upgraded connection to Footscray Road
- New signalised intersections improving traffic flow along Moreland Street at Footscray Road, Parker Street and Whitehall Street
The project will create 150 jobs over its construction.
Upgrading Shepherd Bridge and Footscray Road will address the current bottleneck at Whitehall and Napier Streets. Duplicating Moreland Street between Footscray Road and Whitehall Street will allow for a more efficient flow of traffic to the Port and Melbourne CBD.
The shared user path has been designed in collaboration with urban design consultants to meet the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. It will complement the existing character of the area, with a design influenced by the local shipping industry.
As Footscray Road is an important detour for the CityLink Tulla Widening project, there will be no impact to traffic during peak periods while delivering these works.
The number of existing traffic lanes will be maintained during peak periods, with the majority of work happening at night or behind the safety barriers.
Motorists are asked for their patience and to allow extra travel time while we complete this work. Following the creation of the safe work area, outside of the morning peak the speed limit will be temporarily reduced to 40km/h during construction.
Construction of the new pedestrian and cycling bridge will start in June, the widening and strengthening of Shepherd Bridge will be complete at the start of 2017 with all works completed in mid-2017.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“We’re fixing inner west roads so local residents will no longer sit in long traffic queues at Whitehall Street and Footscray Road intersections.”
“More than 1,000 pedestrians and cyclists use Shepherds Bridge every day – for them, this means better city access and a safer crossing over the Maribyrnong River.”
“Widening Footscray Road and Moreland Street will also provide more reliable freight access to the Port of Melbourne, critical to Victoria’s economy.”