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Three consortiums have been shortlisted to tender for the AUD1.8 billion (US$1.4 billion) road and maintenance upgrade of eight congested roads - also known as the Outer Suburban Arterial Roads (OSARs) Program - in the outer western suburbs of Melbourne (Australia).
The three shortlisted consortia are:
- Netflow (Ferrovial and Plenary)
- Western Improvement Network
- Western Roads Partnership
VicRoads, in conjunction with the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR) and Department of Treasury and Finance, released the invitation for Expression of Interest in early November.
The OSARs Western Package will transform the outer western suburban arterial road network by boosting capacity and significantly increasing road pavement conditions with a program of road and interchange upgrades. The project includes almost 30 kilometres of lane duplication and over 700 lane kilometres of road rehabilitation and maintenance over a 20 years period.
The capital works package includes:
- Dunnings Road and Palmers Road upgrade, Point Cook Road to Princes Freeway, Point Cook;
- Palmers Road upgrade, Princes Freeway to Western Freeway, Truganina;
- Derrimut Road upgrade, Sayers Road to Dohertys Road, Tarneit;
- Leakes Road upgrade, Fitzgerald Road to Derrimut Road, Truganina;
- Dohertys Road upgrade, Fitzgerald Road to Grieve Parade, Laverton North;
- Dohertys Road upgrade, Foundation Road to Palmers Road, Truganina;
- Princes Freeway/Forsyth Road interchange upgrade, Hoppers Crossing; and
- Duncans Road interchange, Werribee/Werribee South.
The contract is expected to be awarded in late 2017 and early works will commence shortly after.
Over the last decade almost 60 per cent of population growth has occurred in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, putting pressure on Melbourne’s outer suburban roads.
Premier Daniel Andrews said:
“This is one of the biggest ever projects to update suburban arterial roads – and it’s going to create jobs, cut travel times and congestion and improve safety. We’re building better roads for Victorian families to get them home safer and sooner to their loved ones."
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said:
“For people living in the outer suburbs, access to decent roads can mean the difference between hours stuck in the car or time spent with their family – that’s why we’re getting on with upgrading these roads out west.”
