Update
In a joint federal and Victorian funding initiative Donnybrook Road in Melbourne’s outer north is to have its upgrade — which is delivering a new bike route — extended with a new bridge over the Hume Highway.
New shared walking and cycling paths will be constructed along the northern side of Donnybrook Road between Polaris Road and Dwyer Street.
This will provide a critically important active transport link between the suburbs, community facilities, schools and the railway station that are isolated on either side of the Hume Freeway.
Stage 2 will see a second bridge built over the Hume, and Donnybrook Road duplicated between the Hume and Dwyer Street.
Intersection upgrades will also be carried out at the Hume Freeway outbound off-ramp.
The federal government is tipping in $37.4m to supplement the Victorian Government’s commitment of $7.7 million for Stage 2, bringing total spend on the Donnybrook Road upgrade to $170.1m.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said the project was the upgrade that the people living in Melbourne’s outer north had called for and deserved.
2 July 2025
The Victorian Government is planning to upgrade Donnybrook Road in Melbourne’s outer north, adding new bike paths as part of the project.
Donnybrook Road is being upgraded between Mickleham Road, Mickleham, and Epping Road, Woodstock.
Options being considered for the project are adding more road lanes, upgrading intersections, upgrading the Hume Freeway Interchange and removing the Donnybrook Road level crossing.
The Donnybrook Road and Mitchell Street intersection is also being upgraded, with the roundabout replaced by traffic lights and a new bridge to be built over Kalkallo Creek.
A public feedback page is now open for comments. You can take a quick poll and make a suggestion on an interactive map.
New residential and commercial precincts are expanding rapidly along Donnybrook Road, and as in most outer suburbs, motor vehicles are the default setting for transport.
Most new residential precincts have reasonably good bike infrastructure provided, but the arterial and connector road have next to none.
Locals are calling out for railway station parking to be expanded to cope with demand, however there is no Parkiteer at the station yet, even though there are new bike lanes linked to the location.
This latest initiative, if designed properly, should at least get more people riding to the station, removing the necessity of leaving a car parked there all day, every day.
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