Work starting on next stage of Hoddle Street
A new and improved Punt Road and Swan Street intersection in Richmond is a step closer with major construction getting underway on the next stage of the Streamlining Hoddle Street project.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan today announced that major construction work would begin this week to improve and transform the complex Punt Road intersections at Swan Street and Brunton Avenue.
A continuous flow intersection will be built at the intersection of Swan Street and Punt Road to give city-bound traffic turning right a dedicated, new movement onto Olympic Boulevard.
The continuous flow intersection will slash congestion and reduce delays for tens of thousands of drivers travelling north-south by cutting the 45 per cent of time currently dedicated to right-turning and some through traffic.
The project will also build new and improved cycling and walking connections on Swan Street and Olympic Boulevard, accessible bus stops on Punt Road and a new accessible platform tram stop that will replace some existing stops on Swan Street and Olympic Boulevard.
More than 90,000 vehicles travel along Punt Road and Hoddle Street each day, making it the busiest arterial road in Melbourne.
The project is transforming the way motorists travel along and across Hoddle Street and Punt Road, moving turning traffic away from busy intersections to reduce its impact on north-south journeys.
With major construction now complete on the first stage of Hoddle Street, between Johnston Street and Eastern Freeway, drivers will notice traffic changes and disruptions at the intersection.
Lane closures will allow construction crews to begin service investigation and relocation, while one of the northbound left-hand turn lanes onto Brunton Avenue will be permanently removed from mid-October.
The upgrade will also improve public transport, with dedicated tram lanes at the Swan Street and Punt Road intersection, as well as dedicated bus lanes and head starts there and further north along Hoddle Street.
The upgrade of Punt Road, Swan Street and Brunton Avenue is due for completion in late-2019 and is being delivered by the Major Road Projects Authority.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan
“We’ve expanded Swan Street Bridge and removed the Johnston Street bottleneck, and now we’re getting on with the next stage of the upgrade at Swan Street – unclogging the busy choke-point at Punt Road.”
“This continuous flow intersection – the first of its kind in Victoria – will move right-turn traffic away from the intersection and give traffic heading to the city from the north a dedicated right turn.”
“I thank people for their patience while we deliver this project and a smoother, quicker journey for motorists and passengers.”