WORKS to add an extra lane in each direction to a significant section of Yan Yean Road are now underway as Stage 2 of the road’s major upgrade gets moving.
The 5.5km section of Yan Yean Road between Kurrak Road in Yarrambat and Bridge Inn Road in Doreen will be duplicated from two lanes to four in a bid to improve traffic flow in one of Melbourne’s fastest growing regions.
Upgraded intersections, including the modernisation of the Yan Yean Road, Bridge Inn Road and Doctors Gully Road roundabout to a signalised intersection, will also be part of the roadworks.
A new walking and cycling path running alongside Yan Yean Road will be added too.
Road users are being asked to allow an extra 15 minutes while travelling along sections of Yan Yean Road, with areas near Cookes Road and Orchard Road reduced to one lane until mid-October.
Works are beginning at the northern end of the project starting with Bridge Inn Road and Activity Way intersection upgrades.
These upgrades are on track to be completed in early 2027.
New traffic lights, extra turning lanes and pedestrian crossings will be installed at the Bridge Inn Road intersection, while a refined design plan will ensure six red gums opposite Activity Way estimated to be over 500 years old will not be damaged in the upgrade process.
Traffic lights will also be installed at the Activity Way intersection, which was noted as a key recommendation from community consultation.
Activity Way will close from early November until late December, but Yan Yean Road will remain open.
Local shops will be accessible via Bridge Inn Road while the nearby service station can be accessed from Yan Yean Road.
The Acting Federal Minster for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Kristy McBain said the works will free up a key arterial road.
“These intersection upgrades will remove a major bottleneck on Yan Yean Road, slashing congestion for the 24,000 motorists who use this road every day,” she said.
Temporary access changes and detours are also in place along Yan Yean Road until late 2027, including but not limited to Ashley Road and Golf Links Drive in Yarrambat.
This upgrade comes in an area that will see increasing traffic as the area’s population booms.
The City of Whittlesea is expected to welcome nearly 200,000 more residents by 2054, and rural areas in the municipality remain without key public transport infrastructure to encourage reduced road use.
For more information on the Yan Yean Road Upgrade project, head to the Victoria’s Big Build website.
