The Pakenham Roads Upgrade has reached its final milestone, with the Racecourse Road Upgrade now complete nearly nine months ahead of schedule.
The project’s completion marks the end of a major transformation of the road, rail and health network in one of Melbourne’s fastest-growing communities.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King welcomed the achievement, noting the significance of the final works.
“Not only have we delivered the final stage of Pakenham Roads Upgrade, with all lanes now open on Racecourse Road, we’ve delivered a faster, safer and more reliable road network for Melbourne’s growing south east thanks to our earlier investment and delivery of Stages 1 and 2,” she said.
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams said the upgrade would deliver tangible day-to-day benefits for local residents.
“Better roads mean better access to local services, schools and shops that the community relies on, helping to make local travel safer, more reliable and less congested,” she said.
Member for Pakenham Emma Vulin said the completed upgrade represented the culmination of years of work in the corridor.
“We’ve opened all lanes on Racecourse Road, delivering safer and more reliable journeys for the growing Pakenham community,” she said.
“This is the last milestone for the Pakenham Roads Upgrade, with drivers now benefiting from extra capacity and smoother travel through this key corridor.
“We thank the community for their patience throughout the delivery of the Pakenham Roads Upgrade.”
Big Build Roads Program Director Brendan Pauwels said the project would ease pressure on one of the area’s busiest local roads.
“Opening all lanes is a key milestone in the project and will help improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and support more reliable journeys across the local road network,” he said.
“These upgrades are giving drivers more room where they need it most, while improving safety for everyone in the community,” he said.
Racecourse Road is a key link in Pakenham, supporting thousands of daily trips and connecting local communities, freight operators and commuters to the Princes Freeway and surrounding arterial network.
The year has seen a steady run of milestones, with the new signalised intersection of Bald Hill and Racecourse Road opening in February, followed by the Campbell Street and Railway Avenue intersection in May, and all lanes on Racecourse Road opening to traffic in June.
Finishing works including signage and landscaping have since been completed at pace.
The scale of the build was substantial. Crews laid more than 14,000 tonnes of asphalt, placed 20,000 tonnes of crushed rock, installed 2.3 kilometres of new drainage and more than one kilometre of conduits.
Some 33 new light poles were installed alongside new paths and signalised pedestrian crossings to improve public safety. In total, more than 309,000 hours of work went into the Racecourse Road Upgrade.
The project also supported the Victorian government’s Major Projects Skills Guarantee, with almost 20,000 hours completed by cadets, trainees and apprentices.
Nine Aboriginal businesses and nine social enterprises were engaged during delivery, while 14,000 tonnes of recycled material was used in construction, 3,600 tonnes of waste was diverted from landfill, and approximately 1,300 tonnes of CO2e emissions were avoided through green alternatives.
Crews also boosted the capacity of Pakenham Creek, installing larger pipes beneath Racecourse Road to reduce flood risk for the road and nearby properties.
The upgrade connects seamlessly to the improved Princes Freeway interchange and, together with the recently completed Healesville Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade, provides more than 11 kilometres of new separated lanes and shared use paths between Pakenham and Koo Wee Rup.
The Racecourse Road Upgrade forms part of more than $1 billion in major transport and community investment across Pakenham in recent years, including three level crossing removals, new stations at Pakenham and East Pakenham, and construction of the Pakenham Community Hospital, which is set to open later this year.
