Victoria’s first continuous flow intersection is scheduled to open in Melbourne at the corner of Punt Road and Swan Street on 17 March 2019. The intersection is aimed at easing congestion on Hoddle Street and Punt Road.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, said the intersection will move right turns away from the busy corner, helping to relieve queuing caused by turning traffic.
Once the intersection is operational, southbound drivers on Punt Road wanting to turn right will travel on new lanes dedicated to citybound traffic on Olympic Boulevard.
Drivers on Swan Street wishing to turn right into to Punt Road will use p-turns to travel towards the MCG, as will vehicles on Punt Road turning right to Swan Street to head towards Hawthorn.
The right turn from Olympic Boulevard onto Punt Road towards South Yarra has been permanently removed as part of these works.
Traffic signal times will be reallocated to through movements to give drivers more go time at green lights, prioritising the dominant flow of traffic on Hoddle Street and Punt Road.
“This will make getting through this notorious bottleneck quicker and more efficient for the 330,000 motorist that move through the Punt Road and Swan Street intersection every day,” Ms Allan said.
In the lead up to the opening date, engineering crews will work around the clock to install new line marking and directional signage to prepare for traffic to move through the intersection in the early hours of 17 March.
Construction of a new accessible tram stop on Swan Street and landscaping of surrounding areas will continue through the year, with all works expected to be complete by late 2019.
The Victorian Government has launched a new campaign to educate drivers on how to navigate the intersection.
The campaign features a series of videos in five languages clearly demonstrating the new turning movements and instructing drivers which lanes to select on approach to the intersection.
