Drivers in Melbourne's north-west are a step closer to enjoying a faster and less congested trip home, with early works underway on the Sunbury Road upgrade.
The contract for the project has been awarded to Winslow Infrastructure.
The project forms part of the $2.27 billion Suburban Roads Upgrade - South Eastern Roads and Northern Roads package, to upgrade suburban roads across the south eastern and northern parts of Melbourne.
The Australian and Victorian Governments are each contributing $1.1 billion in funding for the package.
Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the Sunbury Road upgrade will ease congestion and reduce travel times.
"Sunbury Road is a major connection for Melbourne's north-west corridor, with more than 25,000 motorists relying on this road each day," Mr Fletcher said.
"The Morrison Government is committed to funding the delivery of this important project and improving road safety for commuters in Melbourne's north-west."
Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, the Hon Jacinta Allan MP, said the upgrade includes adding an extra lane in each direction on Sunbury Road between Powlett Street and Bulla-Diggers Rest Road, as well as replacing the roundabouts at Lancefield Road and Francis Boulevard with traffic lights.
"We're getting on with delivering the Sunbury Road upgrade to slash travel times and boost safety - making it easier for locals to get to where they need to go," Ms Allan said.
"Sunbury Road is a vital connection for the north-west; adding an additional lane in each direction and improving the roundabouts will provide a huge benefit to the area."
The upgrade also includes building a new bridge over Jacksons Creek, installing safety barriers and creating a new walking and cycling path along the length of Sunbury Road.
Victorian Member for Sunbury, Josh Bull MP, said the project will better connect and link communities to the Sunbury town centre, as well as local services and employment hubs.
"Locals who use Sunbury Road every day know how important this upgrade is for the area," Mr Bull said.
"Whether you're driving, riding or walking, we're building better roads that help get people home safer and sooner."
Early works on the Sunbury Road upgrade have commenced, with crews undertaking preliminary road widening at the southern end of the project, utility investigations and relocation designs.
Major construction is expected to start in the second half of 2022 and scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Works also continue in the area on the Sunbury Line upgrade, which will allow bigger, more modern trains to run on the line when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025. There will be a train on average every five minutes on the Sunbury Line and room for 113,000 more passengers every week.
Construction is also progressing on removing the dangerous and congested level crossing at Gap Road. Crews will begin building the new rail bridge and underpass this year, which will improve safety and ease congestion in the area.
The projects all combine to help transform the transport network in Sunbury and create better opportunities in one of Melbourne's fastest growing regions.
