Survey crews are now out on Old Sydney Road in Beveridge as design works start on the $45 million upgrade that will give locals another way in and out.
For Beveridge families who spend too much of their day queued on local roads and the Hume Freeway, that extra option can't come soon enough.
What's being upgraded?
The project will seal and upgrade 5.6 km of Old Sydney Road, from Mitchell Shire's boundary with Hume to Camerons Lane.
It also includes a new single-lane roundabout where Old Sydney Road meets Camerons Lane.
The Australian Government is funding the full $45 million through its Road Blitz program.
Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall and Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell MP visited the road to mark the start of planning and detailed design.
"We know how frustrated our Beveridge community is with traffic. People are leaving home earlier and getting back later. That time comes straight out of their family life," Cr Dougall said.
"This road won't fix congestion on its own. What it does is give people a real choice about how they get in and out of Beveridge. Thank you to Rob Mitchell and the Australian Government for funding it in full."
What's happening on site now?
We appointed a civil engineering and design consultant through a public tender earlier this year. Their first job is a series of investigations to build a detailed picture of the existing road and the land around it.
Over the coming weeks, small crews will:
- survey and map the road, from the ground and from the air
- test the ground the road sits on
- find where underground services such as pipes and cables are.
Will this affect my trip?
Most of this work will happen off the road, with little impact on traffic.
Some of the later checks will need traffic management, such as lower speed limits and single-lane closures, so crews can work safely. We'll let road users know before this happens.
"We know people want to see this road finished, so we'll keep them updated at every step," Cr Dougall said.
When will construction start?
Here's the expected timeline:
- Until May 2027: detailed design
- Mid 2027: construction tender opens
- Late 2027: construction contract awarded
- Late 2027 to March 2029: construction
