THE City of Whittlesea is seeking more funding for Donnybrook Road, warning that the corridor will run beyond capacity on the eastern side of the road if projections continue without the required works.
The council acknowledged the recent Federal and State Government funding for Stage 2 upgrades to improve safety, ease congestion and support Melbourne’s growing outer north. However, the announced works do not extend into the City of Whittlesea and, they believe, falls short of the full upgrade required between the Hume Freeway and Merriang Road by 2030.
The City of Whittlesea say a complete upgrade of the corridor is needed to improve east-west traffic flow, reduce crashes and support greater public transport capacity. This would strengthen connections to the Hume Freeway, employment precincts, schools, Donnybrook Station and essential services.
According to current and projected demand, the City of Whittlesea says it highlights the scale of the challenge. Donnybrook Road was designed to handle around 20,000 trips per day. It now carries more than 37,000 trips daily, with volumes expected to approach 70,000 by 2030.
Population growth in the surrounding area is placing increasing pressure on transport infrastructure, with demand continuing to rise across the corridor.
The council says that further investment would improve road safety for all users, reduce congestion and travel times, strengthen freight movement and support more reliable public transport connections for growing communities.
It would also improve access to jobs, education and essential services, while enabling future bus services connecting residents to Donnybrook Station, local town centres and surrounding employment precincts.
City of Whittlesea Mayor Councillor Lawrie Cox said there were urgent needs.
“While we acknowledge the Stage 2 funding from the Federal and State Governments, it does not go far enough to address the real pressures on Donnybrook Road, and it does not extend into the City of Whittlesea, where some of the fastest growth is occurring. While the funding will help access to the west and the freeway, we need to ensure that access for traffic travelling east to Epping Road is also provided for,” he said.
“Donnybrook Road is already under significant strain, and demand will continue to grow rapidly. We urgently need a complete, coordinated upgrade of the full corridor so it can safely and efficiently support the communities that rely on it every day.”