Western Highway Upgrade - Melton City Council
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Western Highway
Upgrade
The Western Highway is characterised by aged and
rural-standard freeway infrastructure in critical need
of upgrade to urban freeway standard from Melton to
Deer Park.
Urgent action needed
• Improve safety • Create jobs and productivity
• Reduce chronic congestion gains in Melbourne’s
burgeoning western growth
• S
erve a population set to
corridor.
double over the next 20 years
The Western
Highway is a critical
arterial road link that
functions as an
important economic
driver at a national,
state and
metropolitan
level.Why we need it During peak
periods, the
Western Highway is
already at capacity
and will be
The Western Highway, within the City of Melton, gridlocked
by 2021
currently accommodates approximately 60,000
vehicles per day.1 This is projected to increase to
86,000 vehicles by 2021 and 113,000 by 2031.2
Number of vehicles on Western Highway, Melton to Caroline Springs
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
60,000 86,000 113,000
20,000 2019 2021 2031
0
Approximately 10 per cent of vehicles on the Western Additional lanes and upgraded interchanges
Highway are trucks that service the Central Highlands are needed to support the booming growth in
and Wimmera South Mallee regions, as well as the
Adelaide freight route providing a significant population and maintain efficient freight
contribution to the economy. Time lost in congestion movements in and out of Melbourne.
has major implications for productivity.
The Western Highway is not equipped to cope with
Planning approval for seven additional residential the projected growth and requires State and Federal
suburbs directly adjacent to the Western Highway will investment to plan, design and construct a modern
see the construction of 65,900 new dwellings and an urban freeway.
estimated 183,500 residents. A further five Precinct
Structure Plans are yet to be prepared which are
expected to include more than 30,000 dwellings,
housing an additional 78,000 people. This additional
growth will place further burden on the Western
Highway, resulting in significant increases in
congestion.
Figure 1. Melton City Council – VITM Data
Year AM Traffic Volumes PM Traffic Volumes Volume to Congestion
on Western Highway on Western Highway Capacity issue
Ratio
(east of Hopkins Road (east of Hopkins Road
- eastbound) - westbound)
2016 6,650 7,300 0.90-1.00 Nearing Capacity
2021 7,150 7,700 1.00+ Gridlocked
2031 7,950 8,750 1.00+ Gridlocked
1
VicRoads OpenData
2
Melton City Council – VITM DataCALDER FWY TO BENDIGO
HUME FWY
BALLARAT BRISBANE
SYDNEY
WESTERN FWY
TO ADELAIDE City of MELBOURNE AIRPORT
Melton
TO BALLARAT WESTERN
RING RD
MELBOURNE
Our Community 35km 20km
CBD
The City of Melton is located in the
PORT OF
north-western urban fringe of metropolitan MELBOURNE
Melbourne. Some 23 kilometres from the PRINCES FWY
CBD, Melton covers an area of 527 square
kilometres. The municipality is directly
connected to Melbourne’s major freeways,
airports, industrial hubs and the AVALON AIRPORT
Port of Melbourne.
One of the fastest growing GEELONG
Background
municipalities in Australia The Western Highway is a critical arterial road link
and an important economic driver at a national, state
The City of Melton’s population is projected to grow
and metropolitan level. It’s the main road between
from 162,000 residents in 2019 to approximately
Melbourne and Adelaide, and is the second largest
278,000 by 2031, and ultimately over 500,000—that’s
freight carrier of any national highway.
larger than the current population of Canberra.
The Western Highway enables access to employment
While housing affordability is a driver of Melton’s
and health services for local residents as well as
population growth, the reality is that this does not
commuters from regional areas of Bacchus Marsh,
translate to affordable and quality living.
Ballan, and Ballarat.
Congested roads, and a lack of access to public
The section of the Western Highway located within
transport, schools, health and human services,
the City of Melton suffers from significant levels of
means residents have to travel long distances to
congestion during the peak periods, is dangerously
work, and to access services that residents in
sub-standard and will be gridlocked by 2021.
inner suburbs take for granted.
It’s characterised by aged and rural-standard freeway
This means long commutes, high transport infrastructure including multiple direct property
costs, less time spent with family, and accesses, at-grade interchanges, and two at-grade
recreational activities, all of which has a bus stops. Traffic volumes exceed capacity during
peak periods.
negative impact on the health and wellbeing
of our community. Additional lanes and upgraded interchanges are
needed to not only meet current demand, but support
Over 77 per cent of our local workforce, leave the the booming growth in population and maintain
municipality to access employment and this trend is efficient freight movements in and out of Melbourne.
projected to increase. As a result, residents of the City The lack of interchanges and overpasses present a
of Melton will need to continue to travel considerable significant safety risk to road users.
distances for work compared to other municipalities.
The City of Melton is already playing catch up,
with infrastructure not keeping pace with residential
growth. Upgrading the Western Highway is a
major priority for Council and the community.
What we want
44
BABIES BORN
11
NEW SUBURBS
7,000+
NEW RESIDENTS
Melton City Council is seeking a
commitment from both Commonwealth
EVERY WEEK ESTABLISHED
2017
A YEAR and State governments to fund the
upgrade of the Western Highway to an
urban freeway standard.Construct
interchange at
Bulmans Road
Upgrade the intersection of
Bulmans Road to a full-diamond Construct
interchange. This will:
provide residents of Brookfield
interchange at
and Melton West more direct Mt Cottrell Road
access to the highway
Upgrade intersection of
alleviate congestion at Mt Cottrell Road to a half-diamond
the Coburns Road interchange. This will:
interchange, as well
as High Street provide residents of Thornhill Park
and Brooklyn safer access to the highway and a
To Ballarat Road. more direct route towards
To Adelaide Melbourne’s inner suburbs
alleviate congestion at
the Ferris Road
interchange.
acce
m
Full-
im
Diamond
co
Interchange at t
Harkness
Rd
Melton township
60,284
CURRENT POPULATION
WESTERN H
IG
H W AY
Toolern
20,000
APPROX DWELLINGS
55,000
APPROX POPULATION Paynes Road
2,500 Rockba
APPROX DWELLINGS
7,300
7,000 APPROX
APPROX POPULATION
20,400
APPROX
Rockbank
8,100
APPROX DWELLINGS
Pedestrian 22,800
APPROX POPULATION
overpass at
Arnolds Creek
This will:
improve pedestrian
connectivity across the
freeway, allowing for
better access to
major retail and Construct
medical vehicular
precinct. overpass at
Paynes
RoadLEGEND
2031
Population / sqkm
0–250
250–500
500–1000
1000–1500
1500–2000
2000–2500
2500–3000
3000–3500
3500–4000
4000–4500
4500–5000
5000+
Upgrade City of Melton
to urban
freeway standard
Remove direct property
esses, bus stops and central
median breaks. This will:
mprove the safety of the road Plan for
orridor and ensure journey
times are more reliable for
the future
our community and the Plan capacity
regions of western improvements within
Victoria. the corridor to
accommodate
anticipated traffic
projections.
Plumpton
10,800
APPROX DWELLINGS
30,100
APPROX POPULATION
ank North
DWELLINGS
0
POPULATION
Kororoit Eastern corridor
9,200 70,000
APPROX DWELLINGS CURRENT POPULATION
25,800
APPROX POPULATION
WE
ST
ER
N
Mt Atkinsons & HIGH
W AY
Tarneit Plains
8,000
APPROX DWELLINGS
22,400
APPROX POPULATION
19,000
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT
POPULATIONBenefits of the Western Highway upgrade
Economic Social
Improved access to employment Improved access to essential services
opportunities in regions with limited including health and allied services,
public transport connections and education
Improved access to developing industrial I mproved health and wellbeing for
and employment precincts including Mt residents who will spend less time
Atkinson, where 19,000 jobs are travelling to and from work, and be
estimated to be created better placed to participate in leisure
and recreational activities
Decreased congestion—with lost time
and productivity estimated to cost I mproved road safety
Australia up to $53 billion per annum by
2031 (Infrastructure Australia)
Improved access to key regional centres
including Ballarat, Ararat, Stawell,
Horsham, and major tourism centres in
Hepburn, the goldfields and Grampians
National Park
Improved freight access to Adelaide,
country Victoria, and the proposed
Western Interstate Freight Terminal
(WIFT)
Increased commercial investment
leading to more local jobs
Improved access and liveability, attracting
new home owners and investors
Melton City Council
03 9747 5440
advocacy@melton.vic.gov.au
PO Box 21
Melton VIC 3337
Melton Civic Centre
232 High Street
Melton VIC 3337
melton.vic.gov.au
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