Expressions of interest called for airport end of CityLink Tulla Widening Project
The Victorian and Commonwealth governments last week called for expressions of interest for the airport end of the CityLink Tulla Widening Project, which involves an 8-kilometre section between Bulla Road at Essendon North and Melbourne Airport. The EOI process will shortlist suitable, experienced construction companies ahead of the formal tender process expected to commence mid-year. The work will add new traffic lanes, upgrade key interchanges and introduce a freeway management system, including ramp signalling and variable messaging signs.
The Australian Government is contributing $200 million and the Victorian Government is contributing $72.8 million. The upgrade project between the airport and Bulla Road is being managed by VicRoads. A contractor has already been appointed to construct the section from Bulla Road to Power Street in Southbank, which is being managed by Transurban. Major construction will start in October 2015 and is due for completion in 2018. The project will add additional lanes to the Tullamarine Freeway from Melrose Drive in the north, along CityLink to the Bolte Bridge. Additional lanes will also be added to the West Gate Freeway eastbound between the Bolte Bridge and Power Street. To fund this section of the project, the CityLink Concession will be extended by one year, toll price increases will remain at a minimum of 4.5 per cent (annually) for an additional year and truck tolls will increase to become consistent with national pricing for trucks on other motorway networks. “The CityLink Tulla Widening project will support Victoria’s economy by improving a major corridor for transporting freight and airport traffic,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss. “The widening of the road will also mean it has the capacity to deal with the extra almost 30,000 vehicles that are predicted to use the road every day by 2031.”
Source: News Release, Urbanalyst, 8 June, 2015