Five of the most congested roads in Whittlesea and Hume will be duplicated as part of a $2.2 billion budget commitment.
The 2018-19 state budget, which will be handed down tomorrow, will include funding to upgrade 13 arterial roads across the northern and south-eastern suburbs.
In the north, more than $1 billion will be spent to widen and improve safety on Craigieburn, Sunbury, Epping, Childs and Bridge Inn roads.
The upgrades will be delivered within five years and will be overseen by the Major Road Projects Authority.
Craigieburn Road will be duplicated between Mickleham Road and the Hume Freeway, while Sunbury Road will be widened from two to four lanes between Powlett Street and Bulla-Diggers Rest Road.
Childs Road will be duplicated between Beaumont Crescent and Prince of Wales Avenue; Epping Road will be widened to four lanes between Craigieburn Road East and Memorial Avenue; and Bridge Inn Road will be duplicated between Plenty and Yan Yean roads.
Whittlesea mayor Kris Pavlidis said the funding announcement was “very exciting” and “long overdue”.
She said Epping, Childs and Bridge Inn roads were “key strategic roads” and that the upgrades would help improve traffic flow.
“I hear from our residents what this congestion is doing to families who are trying to get on with their everyday tasks,” she said.
“In many respects, we are playing catch-up. The delivery of these roads will help us make steps ahead.”
But north ward councillor Tom Joseph said he was disappointed Epping and Bridge Inn roads were only being partially upgraded.
“It is a disaster for the people of Mernda – it will be a bottleneck for us,” he said.
“Epping Road should be duplicated up to Bridge Inn Road and Bridge Inn Road needs to be done, east and west.”
The funding follows a joint advocacy campaign by Hume and Whittlesea councils in which they called for the state government to fund upgrades to nine arterial roads across the two municipalities.
Craigieburn roads campaigner Jim Overend said he was thrilled Craigieburn Road would finally be duplicated.
“A lot of hard work has gone into this,” he said. “I am rapt the hard work has paid off and the residents of Craigieburn will benefit,” he said.
