Safety upgrade designed for Melbourne roads

The Victorian government has released preliminary designs for four intersections to be upgraded along the Hoddle Street-Punt Road corridor.

The Streamlining Hoddle Street project will use new intersection configurations, including continuous flow intersections, to improve travel times and provide safer travel for the 330,000 daily users of the corridor.

The preliminary designs will transform the intersections of Swan Street, Brunton Avenue, Johnston Street and the Eastern Freeway.

“The community has played an important role in the development of these designs to ensure Victorians spend less time stuck in traffic,” said Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan.

At the intersection of Hoddle and Swan Street, the principles of continuous flow will be used to reduce congestion caused by right-turning vehicles. It will also be improved for cyclists with new on-road bicycle lanes along Swan Street and Olympic Boulevard.

At Brunton Avenue the removal of one right-hand turning lane will make it safer for the large number of pedestrians who travel through the area.

Right-hand turns will be removed at the Johnston Street intersection to keep traffic moving and cut down on the delays many drivers normally experience.

A third outward-bound on-ramp lane for the Eastern Freeway will also be added.

These intersections have been identified as a focus along Hoddle Street due to their importance for both north-south and east-west movement, not just for cars, but for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians, particularly after major events.

The preliminary designs were developed last year through community input and technical investigations.

Last year, the community who live, work and visit the area were asked about their travel experiences along the corridor, with feedback playing a key role in developing the current intersection designs.

The designs also seek to improve safety, access and connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians.

Construction of the new intersection layouts is expected to start in mid-2017.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Dušan Janković