Construction has started on Stage 2 of the Yan Yean Road upgrade, a major infrastructure project in Melbourne’s outer north-east.
The works will add a lane in each direction between Kurrak Road and Bridge Inn Road, alongside intersection upgrades and a new path for walking and cycling. The first two intersection upgrades are on track for completion in early 2027.
At the junction of Yan Yean Road, Bridge Inn Road and Doctors Gully Road, an existing roundabout will be replaced with a signalised intersection.
The junction will receive traffic lights, additional turning lanes and pedestrian crossings. A lane will also be added in each direction on Yan Yean Road at the intersection.
In addition, traffic lights will be installed at Activity Way, following a recommendation from community consultation. Activity Way will close from early November until late December, while Yan Yean Road will remain open.
Local shops will be accessible via Bridge Inn Road during the closure, while the nearby service station will remain accessible from Yan Yean Road.
Plans for the Doreen business precinct include improved access, new community spaces, upgraded bus stops and additional walking and cycling paths. The design also protects several river red gum trees and the historic General Store.
The project is being jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments through the A$3.14bn Suburban Roads Upgrades – South Eastern Roads and Northern Roads programme.
Australia is providing A$1.58bn to the package, with Victoria contributing A$1.57bn.
Victorian Roads and Road Safety Minister Paul Hamer said: “The next stage of this project will make journeys on one of Melbourne’s busiest arterial roads quicker and easier.”
The Yan Yean Road Upgrade project is intended to improve traffic flow and reliability for more than 24,000 drivers who use Yan Yean Road each day.
Stage 1 was completed in 2019, upgrading Yan Yean Road between Diamond Creek Road and Kurrak Road in Plenty from a two-lane arterial to a four-lane road.
That stage also delivered safety improvements, six signalised intersections with pedestrian crossings, and new walking and cycling paths.
These upgrades form a key component of a broader effort to enhance transport across Melbourne’s outer north-east.
Alongside the Yan Yean Road works, the region is also seeing improvements such as the Watson Street Interchange and Northern Highway Intersection upgrades in Wallan, as well as the Road Blitz projects on Donnybrook Road and Mickleham Road, and the Camerons Lane Interchange Project.
