The Pakenham Roads Upgrade is set to improve 1.5km of the Princes Freeway in Pakenham with two weekend asphalting blitzes scheduled in November.
Lanes on the Princes Freeway will close on two separate weekends between the Healesville-Kooweerup Road and McGregor Road interchanges in November, with outbound lanes closed over 10-13 November and inbound lanes closed over 24-27 November.
These works will complete asphalting and line marking works to improve the road surface ahead of the new southern McGregor Road ramp opening in the coming months.
These works will involve removing and replacing the existing road surface on the left-hand lanes and road shoulders in this section of the Princes Freeway to strengthen the asphalt in preparation for the new freeway lanes between the freeway ramps.
Major Road Projects Victoria program director Brendan Pauwels said the works are designed to get the freeway surface more durable.
“We’re carrying out two sets of weekend asphalting and line-marking works scheduled in November as part of works to improve your drive along the Princes Freeway in Pakenham,” Mr Pauwels said.
“With the weekend-long blitzes, we can work throughout off-peak times to minimise disruptions on the Princes Freeway while we complete these important asphalting works.”
The outbound carriageway will be closed between the McGregor Road and Healesville-Koo Wee Road interchanges from 7pm Friday 10 November to 5am Monday 13 November.
The inbound carriageway will be closed between Healesville-Kooweerup Road and McGregor Road interchanges from 7pm Friday 24 November to 5am Monday 27 November.
These works are weather-dependent and in the event of wet weather, will be rescheduled to take place in December.
Once these works are completed, the new asphalt will be stronger and more durable, reducing the frequency of potholes on this section of the Princes Freeway. A final layer of asphalt will be applied to all lanes in 2024 to further improve the road surface.
The Princes Freeway right-hand lanes will be resurfaced as part of final surfacing works for all lanes in late 2024.
Working day and night over two full weekends will allow the works to be completed sooner and more safely, with the added benefit of avoiding extended impacts on residents, businesses, and road users.
While the closures are in place, detours will be available via Cardinia Road, the Princes Highway, McGregor Road, and Southeast Boulevard to make sure road users can get where they need to go.
There will be night-time construction held throughout these closures, with project crews monitoring noise levels to ensure they’re within acceptable limits.
Delays of up to 25 minutes are expected, depending on the time you travel and your destination. Please consider your journeys during the work weekends and plan ahead as well as allow for extra travel time.
The Pakenham Roads Upgrade aims to alleviate bottlenecks and create better connections to and from the Princes Freeway.
The project includes:
* Upgrading the freeway interchanges at Healesville-Kooweerup Road, replacing both roundabouts with traffic lights.
* Building an extra bridge over the Princes Freeway at Healesville-Kooweerup Road to provide two lanes in each direction.
* Building new ramps to and from the Princes Freeway at McGregor Road.
* Adding an extra lane in each direction on the freeway between McGregor and Healesville-Kooweerup roads to connect the entry and exit ramps between the two interchanges.
* Adding extra lanes on Healesville-Kooweerup Road between Peet Street and Southeast Boulevard/Livestock Way, so that it is two lanes in each direction.
Stage 1 of the Pakenham Road Upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-2025.
