Dandenong Bypass | |
|---|---|
  West end East end | |
| Coordinates | |
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 8.1 km (5.0 mi)[1] |
| Opened | 2007–2012 |
| Route number(s) |  Metro Route 49(2012–present)(through Keysborough) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end | Westall Road Keysborough, Melbourne |
| East end |  South Gippsland HighwayDandenong South, Melbourne |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Keysborough |
| Highway system | |
TheDandenong Bypass is a highway in the state ofVictoria, Australia that runs along the Dingley Freeway reservation fromSpringvale Road inKeysborough to theSouth Gippsland Highway inDandenong South.
The Dandenong Bypass was completed along the alignment reserved for theDingley Freeway corridor, staged in two separate projects over seven years. The entire bypass has a speed limit of 80 km/h with traffic light controlled intersections and overpasses at Cheltenham Road andEastLink.
Dandenong Bypass was signed as Metropolitan Route 49 between Springvale Road and EastLink through Keysborough, when the second stage of the bypass was opened in 2012.
The passing of theRoad Management Act 2004[2] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads toVicRoads: in 2007, VicRoads re-declaredDandenong Bypass (Arterial #6420) from Perry Road inKeysborough toSouth Gippsland Highway inDandenong South;[3] the declaration has since been extended to cover Stage 2 of the bypass terminating atSpringvale Road in Keysborough.[4]
The first stage of the bypass commenced construction in late 2005 between Perry Road and South Gippsland Highway as part of theEastLink project, with the $65 million works involving the creation of a four lane divided road with traffic light controlled access at roads which run north-south along the constructed route.
The 4.8 km bypass also included an overpass of theCranbourne railway line as well as adiamond interchange with EastLink. The entire bypass has an 80 km/h speed limit. The project was completed and opened to traffic on 9 December 2007.[5]
The second stage of the bypass commenced construction in 2011 between Springvale Road and Perry Road, connecting the existing Dandenong Bypass at Perry Road withWestall Road and creating an arterial-standard highway, with traffic light controlled intersections and an overpass at Cheltenham Road, for 11 km from Heatherton Road in Springvale to the South Gippsland Highway.[6]
The new section of road was expected to carry between 30,000 and 40,000 vehicles per day, and also included a shared path being constructed alongside, linking to existing shared paths along the previously-built section of the arterial. The construction of this section (at a cost of $74.6 million) was brought forward to commence in 2010 as part of the "Nation Building" initiatives in the 2009 Victorian State Budget.[7] The project was completed early and under budget (previously estimated to cost $80 million) to traffic on 20 December 2012.[8][9]
The final section to be built would be an eastern section running from the current Dandenong Bypass intersection withSouth Gippsland Highway toSouth Gippsland Freeway. Such a section would be the final link to be built but it would require the construction of a freeway style interchange on the South Gippsland Freeway end. The Victorian government had agreed to start this section by 2020, although this section is still in early planning.[citation needed]
Dandenong Bypass is entirely contained within theCity of Greater Dandenonglocal government area.
| Location[1][3][4] | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keysborough | 0.0 | 0.0 | Westall Road (Metro Route 49) – Springvale South | Western terminus of road; Metro Route 49 continues north-west as Westall Road | |
 Springvale Road (Metro Route 40) – Edithvale,Springvale | |||||
| 2.3 | 1.4 | Chapel Road – Keysborough,Noble Park | |||
| 3.3 | 2.1 | Perry Road – Keysborough,Bangholme | |||
| 3.9 | 2.4 | Chandler Road – Keysborough,Noble Park | |||
| 4.9 | 3.0 |  EastLink (M3) – Melbourne,Ringwood,Frankston | Diamond interchange Eastern terminus of Metro Route 49 (signed) | ||
| Dandenong South | 6.3 | 3.9 | Hammond Road – Dandenong,Dandenong South | ||
| 7.1 | 4.4 |  Frankston-Dandenong Road (Metro Route 9) – Frankston,Dandenong | |||
| 7.9 | 4.9 | Cranbourne railway line | |||
| 8.1 | 5.0 | South Gippsland Highway – Dandenong,Cranbourne,Phillip Island | Eastern terminus of road | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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