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Western Freeway plans for bikes

A future upgrade of the Western Freeway between Melton and Ballarat Road at Caroline Springs will be delivered with full separated bike facilities from end to end.

The corridor, now a rural highway, will be transformed into a major arterial connecting new suburbs being developed through Melton, Aintree, Rockbank, Mt Atkinson and Deanside.

There will be a continuous bike facility both north and south of the upgraded road, sometimes alongside it, and sometimes parallel, provided within the adjacent developments.

Links to future local networks will be part of the plan.

The Kororoit Creek Trail will eventually extend into these suburbs and would be an important connection.

Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) is undertaking the planning and development work on behalf of the Victorian and Australian governments to investigate potential options for the upgrade.

Investigations include traffic modelling, engineering designs, constructability assessments, economic modelling, community engagement and environmental investigations.

Currently 86,000 vehicles a day travel the stretch between Melton and Caroline Springs, with this figure expected to rise to about 113,000 by 2031.

As well as the bike corridors, potential options being investigated include additional road lanes, new interchanges and overpasses, upgrades to existing interchanges and facilities to prioritise public transport.

The business case is expected to be concluded in 2024.

Federal and state governments have contributed funding for the business case studies.

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