Shortlist released for $110M Chandler Highway upgrade

The Victorian Government has released the shortlist of companies to undertake the $110 million Chandler Highway Upgrade.

BMD, CPB Contractors, Laing O’Rourke and Seymour Whyte will submit tenders for the project with the selected contractor expected to be announced before the end of the year.

The upgrade involves the widening of the highway to six lanes and the construction of a new bridge over Melbourne’s Yarra River.

As a result, the 125-year-old Chandler Highway Bridge will be converted to a shared user path for cyclists and pedestrians.

The intersection at Heidelberg Road will also be upgraded, and safety will be improved through the installation of traffic lights at Yarra Boulevard.

According to Victoria Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan, the upgrade will help cut time off commuter journeys during the morning and afternoon peaks.

We’re fixing the bottlenecks along the Chandler Highway which was recently nominated the third worst spot for traffic congestion in Victoria, in RACV’s annual Redspot survey,” he said.

Construction will commence in early 2017 and be completed in mid-2018.