- Published:
- Monday 2 May 2022
The Andrews Labor Government is getting every Victorian home faster and safer by continuing to invest in road upgrades across the state.
The Victorian Budget 2022/23 will improve travel on Mickleham Road in Greenvale with $213 million for a 1.6 kilometre road upgrade – creating a safer journey and slashing travel times for thousands of drivers who use the road every day.
The improvements will include upgraded intersections, new traffic lights and new paths for pedestrians and cyclists, while supporting up to 176 jobs. This project is being jointly funded by the Victorian and Australian governments.
Over the coming year, the Labor Government’s road maintenance blitz will step up with $780 million invested across Victoria, including record asset expenditure of $187 million on road rehabilitation, drainage renewal and bridge works.
This means safer and more efficient journeys and is a major boost to the freight and tourism industries that rely on these roads.
An additional $226.7 million will go towards high-priority road and intersection upgrade projects at locations across Victoria including the Bass Highway in Kilcunda, the Bellarine Highway in Moolap and Derrimut‑Hopkins Road in Tarneit.
The Labor Government will keep rolling out its 10 Year Road Safety Strategy with $263.1 million to keep all road users safe – including more infrastructure upgrades to benefit motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, additional funding for the School Crossing Supervisor program and progress on licensing reform for heavy vehicle drivers.
The Government will invest an extra $14.7 million in the successful Smarter Roads initiative, ensuring developers and traffic management companies use only as much space as they need to on Melbourne’s roads.
A further $ 21.8 million will be invested to encourage cycling and walking. Continued funding for the Westgate Punt and Portarlington to Docklands Ferry will provide another alternative to travelling by car.
Victoria’s unprecedented $90 billion Big Build is supporting our economic rebound, creating tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs through projects like the North East Link, upgrading regional and suburban roads and the West Gate Tunnel.
Quotes attributed to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“Whether it’s building the North East Link, or upgrading the road at the end of your street – we’re getting it done and creating thousands of jobs along the way.”
“As we recover from the pandemic, we know families want to spend more time with their loved ones, so we’ll keep investing in our roads to make sure every Victorian gets home safer and sooner.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll
“Every Victorian wants to spend less time stuck in traffic and more time with friends and family doing the things they enjoy – and they want a government that gets on with it.”
“We want everyone to get home safely, so we’ll keep investing in the things we know save lives on our roads.”