Traffic has started crossing a new bridge over Plenty River, Doreen as part of a major milestone on the Bridge Inn Road upgrade.
The milestone marks a big step toward the opening of all four lanes on the 68-metre bridge, which is expected for later this year.
Once fully open, the new bridge will remove a notorious bottleneck at the existing two-lane bluestone bridge, which will be repurposed as a dedicated walking and cycling path.
Located between Mernda and Doreen, the new bridge will ease congestion and improve safety for about 17,000 motorists and 1500 heavy vehicles that travel along busy Bridge Inn Road daily.
In another major milestone for the upgrade, crews also moved traffic onto the new westbound lanes on Bridge Inn Road between Plenty River and Bassets Road late last year.
With one lane open in each direction, crews have started upgrading the existing eastbound lanes along this section of the road.
These and other traffic arrangements will be in place throughout 2024. Access will be maintained for emergency services in the area.
Major Road Projects Victoria director Adrian Furner said the upgrade is a big step.
“Opening one lane in each direction on the new bridge over Plenty River is a huge milestone for the Bridge Inn Road Upgrade, and a significant step toward fully opening the bridge with all four lanes over the coming year,” he said.
“We’re also moving traffic onto the new westbound lanes between Plenty River and Bassetts Road, so we can start upgrading the existing eastbound lanes through this section as well.”
