Two new lanes on the Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road Upgrade in Pakenham South are now open in both directions, from Southeast Boulevard between Princes Freeway to Manks Road.
Since beginning in 2021, the project has delivered safety improvements to Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, including 10 kilometres of walking and cycling path and three new roundabouts at Hall Road, south of Deep Creek and Ballarto Road.
Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road has had at least 43 incidents resulting in five fatalities and 21 serious injuries through collisions between 2016 and September 2021, resulting in 18 months of major works to improve safety.
By upgrading Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, road users are provided with an alternative route in the Pakenham area.
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Some of the safety improvements include continuous safety barriers on both sides of road throughout the upgraded area.
A new intersection at Greenhills Road with traffic lights (to improve safety for drivers turning in and out of Greenhills Road) and a new shared user paths for pedestrians and cyclists and a new bridge over Deep Creek near the water recycling plant.
Project crews as well as Pakenham SES, Koo Wee Rup and Nar Nar Goon CFA volunteers visited the site to see the safety improvements from the project.
The Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Upgrade is jointly funded by the Federal and State governments as part of the $3.1 billion Suburban Roads Upgrade package, and due for completion in 2025.
The upgrade is part of a wider investment in improving transport infrastructure in Pakenham, including the three level crossings which have been removed at Racecourse Road, McGregor Road and Main Street, replaced with a 2.5km section of elevated rail.
In addition to the level crossing removals, a new Pakenham Station was built, along with the two-kilometre extension of the metropolitan rail line resulting in a brand-new East Pakenham Station which opened in June 2024.