M80 Ring Road Western Ring Road Metropolitan Ring Road | |
|---|---|
 | |
| M80 Ring Road inFawkner | |
  Southwest end Northeast end | |
| Coordinates | |
| General information | |
| Type | Freeway |
| Length | 38.3 km (24 mi)[1] |
| Opened | 1992–1999 |
| Route number(s) |  M80(1997–present) |
| Former route number |
|
| Tourist routes |  Tourist Route 21Ardeer–Laverton North |
| Major junctions | |
| Southwest end |  Princes FreewayWest Gate FreewayLaverton North, Melbourne |
| Northeast end |  Greensborough BypassGreensborough, Melbourne |
| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs / towns | Sunshine West,Ardeer,St Albans,Keilor East,Keilor Park,Tullamarine,Airport West,Gowanbrae,Campbellfield,Thomastown,Bundoora |
| Highway system | |
TheM80 Ring Road (also known simply as theRing Road or by the names of its constituent parts; theWestern Ring Road[2] and theMetropolitan Ring Road[3]) is a partially completeurban freewayring road aroundMelbourne,Australia. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.
The ring road connects Melbourne's western suburbs and northern suburbs to otherVictorian urban and rural freeways (theWest Gate andPrinces Freeways,Western Freeway,Calder Freeway,Tullamarine Freeway andHume Freeway), and also relieves freight traffic fromSydney Road,Pascoe Vale Road andGeelong Road. With connections to every major interstate and regional freeway, it has encouraged both industrial and residential growth in Melbourne's western suburbs.[4]
A series of major upgrades along the entire route commenced in 2009, including widening and a Freeway Management System; the most recent section between Sydney and Edgars Roads commenced construction in 2020 and was completed in 2022, one year ahead of schedule.[5]
TheNorth East Link is currently under construction between theGreensborough Bypass, the north-eastern end of the Ring Road, with theEastern Freeway. This will connect a freeway-standard ring road encircle Melbourne fromLaverton North in the south-western suburbs toFrankston in the south-eastern suburbs.[6]
The Western Ring Road officially begins at the West Gate Interchange inLaverton North, with ramps to and from theWest Gate Freeway,Princes Freeway andGeelong Road, and heads north as a six-lane dual-carriageway until theWestern Freeway/Fitzgerald Road interchange, widening to eight lanes and heading north-east, widening again to ten lanes at the Sunshine Avenue/McIntyre Road interchange and crossing theMaribyrnong River over the EJ Whitten Bridge (named afterAustralian rules football playerTed Whitten. The freeway narrows to eight lanes at theCalder Freeway interchange, then narrowing further to six lanes at the Dalton Road interchange, and again to four lanes at thePlenty Road interchange, before terminating at theGreensborough Bypass inGreensborough.
The road has a non-peak speed limit of 100 km/h for almost its entire length; between Greensborough Bypass and Plenty Road, the speed limit drops to 80 km/h (formerly 90 km/h before freeway works completed). The Western Ring Road between the Western Highway and theTullamarine Freeway was previously configured with variable speed limits, which can vary between 60 km/h and 100 km/h depending upon traffic conditions. As of the 2009-2023 upgrades, all upgraded sections now feature a Freeway Management System (similar to the system in place on the M1 corridor) which provide more detailed information to drivers (including variable speed limits) and has replaced the previous variable speed limit system between Ballarat Road (the current name for the previous Western Highway) and the Tullamarine Freeway.
Standard travel time for the M80 Ring Road is 25 minutes (17 minutes on the Western Ring Road and 8 minutes on the Metropolitan Ring Road) in both directions. However, peak period freeway travel times typically vary between 30 and 45 minutes in each direction, unless there are significant incidents, which can stretch travel times from 50 minutes to beyond one hour.
The Ring Road project was proposed as part of the1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan (F3, F5 & F7 Freeway corridors) and has documented in almost every edition of theMelway street directory since that time. Construction of the Western Ring Road began in February 1989 with work on the Broadmeadows section,[7] and was completed with the final link between theCalder andTullamarine Freeways. Under theKeating government, a total $555 million was provided by thefederal government for the Western Ring Road, with a $76 million contribution from theVictorian Government.[8]
The project is officially divided into two sections:[2][3][9]
Completed in stages, the freeway opened to traffic as follows:
The freeway was designated Ring Road 80 when its first stage opened, quickly replaced by Metropolitan Route 80 in 1992, and extended across successive stages as they opened. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, this was updated to M80 in 1997 (for the sections not declared a National Highway).[14]
TheWhitlam government introduced the federalNational Roads Act 1974,[15] where roads declared as a National Highway were still the responsibility of the states for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated by the Federal government for money spent on approved projects.[15]: S7 As an important connecting road between other National Highways linking to the capitals of New South Wales and South Australia, a portion of the Western Ring Road between theHume andWestern Highways was declared aNational Highway in 1993 - parts of which were yet to be built at the time - allowing for direct Federal funding of its construction.[11] Once opened, this section was signed with a National Highway M80 shield, later extended east to the junction with the Hume Freeway when theCraigieburn bypass opened in 2005, and extended south to the junction with the Western Freeway when theDeer Park bypass opened in 2009. It was later changed to a plain route M80 sign in 2013, for continuity with the rest of the freeway and to complement all infrastructure and signage[16] during the 2009 to 2014 upgrade, although old signage still exists and has not yet been replaced.
The passing of theRoad Management Act 2004[17] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads toVicRoads: in 2004, VicRoads re-declared Western Ring Road (Freeway #1900) fromLaverton North toHume Highway inFawkner,[2] and Metropolitan Ring Road (Freeway #1880) fromHume Highway inFawkner toGreensborough Bypass inGreensborough;[3] however sign-posting (and VicRoads' own Declared Roads website[18]) subsequently state the name changes at the interchange with the Hume Freeway. From the upgrades beginning in 2009 onwards, it has been more common for both sections to be referred to as M80 Ring Road or simply the Ring Road, with newer signage and government websites increasingly reflecting this.[19]
An eastern extension to the Metropolitan Ring Road (the "missing link" to complete the ring road), tunnelling underGreensborough and through the Banyule Flats, to connect toEastern Freeway atBulleen, has now started construction as theNorth East Link project.
A study has been initiated byVicRoads to supplement the Western Ring Road with anOuter Metropolitan Ring Road.
Initial upgrading and widening works of the Western and Metropolitan Ring Roads was carried out between 2009 and 2014, funded by the Federal GovernmentAusLink 2 program.[needs update][20]VicRoads had originally produced an official "M80 Upgrade Website" with links to a newly created site showing video simulations, maps and scheduled traffic disruptions on the freeway, for already- or nearly-completed sections. The website was revamped whenMajor Road Projects Victoria, established in 2019, took over management of the project.[21]
The entire length of the freeway is being upgraded, within individual sections over a number of years. Initial work started in 2009 and work on some sections were completed in 2014.[when?] Along with the $2.25 billion upgrade, is a new 'Freeway Management System' that includes Ramp Signals (Traffic Lights located within on-ramps), overhead lane signs (electronic variable speed limits and lane symbols) & overhead electronic message boards; along with various new CCTV cameras and 'intelligent' sensors underground (to detect freeway congestion for signals). The entire upgrade is being jointly funded by theState andFederal governments, being fully controlled. managed and operated byVicRoads. This is the most major and expensive road upgrade in Victoria, since the M1 (Monash Freeway / Citylink) upgrade was completed in 2007/2008.
In late 2009, construction began on the upgrade and widening of 38 kilometres (24 mi) of the M80 from Princes Freeway atLaverton North to the Greensborough Highway atGreensborough. The first stage involved widening the 9.7 km (6.0 mi) stretch from Calder Freeway to Sydney Road from 6 to 8 lanes,[22] and was completed in May 2013.[21] Construction on the Western Highway to Sunshine Avenue section was completed in August 2013.[21] Construction on the Edgars Road to Plenty Road section was completed in April 2014.[21] Upgrades of the Princes Freeway to Western Freeway section were expected to commence from 2015 onwards as part of the western section of theEast West Link, however the project was cancelled with a change of government at the2014 state election.
In mid 2015 to early 2016, the state and federal governments had announcedA$300 million in funding to upgrade the remaining sections along the ring road, previously allocated to the cancelledEast West Link road project. Construction on the Sunshine Avenue to Calder Freeway section was completed in September 2018.[21] The upgrade of the Sydney Road to Edgars Road section started construction in 2020 and was completed in May 2022.[23]
The upgrade of the Plenty Road to Greensborough Highway section will be included as part of theNorth East Link project, which commenced construction in 2024 and will be completed in 2028.
The Princes Freeway to Western Highway section is the last remaining section to be upgraded, however no funding has been allocated for planning or construction. However, minor upgrades to the Princes Freeway interchange are underway as part of theWest Gate Tunnel project, having commenced construction in 2019 and a delayed completion in 2025.
Currently, the easternmost point of the Metropolitan Ring Road terminates at Greensborough at theGreensborough Bypass. There have been numerous proposals, most recently the North East Link, to extend it to the Eastern Freeway/Eastlink, and thus complete the "missing link" in a freeway-standardring road around Melbourne, starting fromLaverton North and ending inFrankston. The resulting ring road will be similar to the size and scope ofSydney'sOrbital Motorway and would enable traffic to transit between the Hume and Calder Highways and Melbourne's outer east without having to cross Melbourne's inner suburbs.
Once the road is built, it will run through areas that are environmentally and politically sensitive, such as Viewbank, Banyule Flats,Eltham,Templestowe orWarrandyte. An inner-city link to the east was previously considered using theproposed tunnel to connect the Eastern Freeway with Melbourne's west, before its cancellation.
A longer eastern route for the link, which was suggested during planning, would have resulted in existingtransmission line corridors being utilised.[24] The official reservation for the extension ends at Ryans Road inEltham North, but these transmission line corridors could be used to carry the freeway through toEastlink inRingwood. Environmental impacts would still be a problem including noise, pollution, possible destruction of vegetation and the interruption of wildlife crossings. A mostly tunnelled road would result in less environmental impacts but would be much more expensive.
In July 2008, it was announced by then Premier John Brumby that the completion of the missing section was again being considered by the Victorian State Government as part of a wider plan to deal with Melbourne's traffic problems.[25] Environmental concerns about building the road through the green wedge and the disruption of communities in the area were raised.
In December 2016, then Premier Daniel Andrews announced plans for extending the freeway. The project was initially estimated to cost at least $10 billion. In May 2016, Infrastructure Victoria released its new consultancy options assessment report,[26] a preferred route was selected in 2017, early construction began in 2020, and major construction began in late 2022, for an expected completion in 2028.[6]
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Much controversy surrounds the Metropolitan Ring Road project in Melbourne in many different topics including; environmental, economical, social, private & public transportation and both positive and negative aspects are well represented for each topic by many people and groups small and large. This has led to heavy debate in all areas of society in Melbourne from political and media to general public views and conversations.
The road serves various uses:
| LGA | Location[1][2][3] | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyndham | Laverton North | 0.0 | 0.0 | West Gate Freeway (M1 east) –City,Dandenong,Pakenham Princes Freeway (M1/Tourist Route 21 south-west) – Werribee,Geelong,Avalon Airport | Southwestern terminus of freeway and route M80; Tourist Route 21 continues southwest alongPrinces Freeway |
| Wyndham–Brimbank boundary | Laverton North–Derrimut–Sunshine West boundary | 1.7 | 1.1 |  Boundary Road – Truganina,Sunshine | |
| Brimbank | Derrimut–Sunshine West boundary | 3.0 | 1.9 | 7-Eleven service centres | |
| 4.7 | 2.9 |  Western Freeway (M8) – Ballarat,Horsham,AdelaideFitzgerald Road – Laverton,Ardeer | |||
| Ardeer | 7.9 | 4.9 | Kororoit Creek | ||
 Ballarat Road (Metro Route 8) – Deer Park,Sunshine | Northeastern terminus of concurrency with Tourist Route 21 | ||||
| St Albans–Sunshine North boundary | 10.7 | 6.6 | Furlong Road – St Albans,Sunshine | ||
| St Albans–Sunshine North–Kealba tripoint | 12.3 | 7.6 |  McIntyre Road (Metro Route 41 north) – Taylors Lakes Sunshine Avenue (Metro Route 41 south) – Sunshine | ||
| Maribyrnong River | 13.1 | 8.1 | E.J. Whitten Bridge | ||
| Keilor East | 14.4 | 8.9 |  Keilor Park Drive (Metro Route 39) – Keilor Park,Avondale Heights | Metro Route 39 provides north east bound exit link for entrance to Calder Freeway westbound and for south west bound entrance from Calder Freeway eastbound. | |
| Keilor East–Keilor Park boundary | 15.9 | 9.9 |  Calder Freeway –City,Bendigo | North east bound exit to and entrance from Calder Freeway eastbound only, south west bound exit to and entrance from Calder Freeway westbound only | |
| Tullamarine | 17.8 | 11.1 | Airport Drive (west) –Melbourne Airport Westfield Drive (east) – Airport West | ||
| Hume–Merri-bek boundary | 19.1 | 11.9 | Melrose Drive – Tullamarine,Airport West | South west bound exit and north-westbound entrance only | |
| Tullamarine–Gladstone Park–Gowanbrae tripoint | 19.5 | 12.1 |  Tullamarine Freeway (M2) – Docklands,Melbourne Airport | No north-eastbound exit to Tullamarine Freeway southbound, no south-westbound entrance from Tullamarine Freeway northbound | |
| Jacana–Gladstone Park–Glenroy tripoint | 21.6 | 13.4 | Moonee Ponds Creek | ||
| Jacana–Broadmeadows–Glenroy tripoint | 22.3 | 13.9 |  Pascoe Vale Road (Metro Route 35) – Broadmeadows,Glenroy | North-eastbound exit and south west bound entrance only | |
| Fawkner | 26.1 | 16.2 |  Sydney Road (Metro Route 55) –Craigieburn,Coburg | Single-point urban interchange | |
| 27.4 | 17.0 | Merri Creek | |||
| Whittlesea | Thomastown | 28.5 | 17.7 |  Hume Freeway (M31) – Seymour,Sydney | Name change: Western Ring Road (west), Metropolitan Ring Road (east) |
| 30.0 | 18.6 | Edgars Road – Thomastown,Epping | |||
| 32.4 | 20.1 | Dalton Road – Epping,Reservoir | |||
| Whittlesea–Banyule boundary | Bundoora | 35.8 | 22.2 |   Plenty Road (Metro Route 27 south/A51 north) – Bundoora,Whittlesea | |
| Banyule | Greensborough–Watsonia North boundary | 38.3 | 23.8 | Greensborough Bypass (Metro Route 46) – Diamond Creek,Greensborough | Northeastern terminus of freeway and route M80till 2028 |
| North East Link – Greensborough,Balwyn North | Under construction | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
The use of National Highway shields for routes M/A8, A20, M31, M/A39 and M80 has been discontinued. They are now signed in the same way as other alphanumeric routes
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