Traffic switch for Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road upgrade

Picture: SUPPLIED

The Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade has opened the new southbound lanes to traffic between Camms Road and New Holland Drive to build the northbound lanes.

Following the asphalting and line-marking of the new lanes earlier in the week, workers will be able to switch traffic onto the new carriageway ahead of works to build the northbound lanes.

The upgrade also sets to begin this week on building the new service road on the western side of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

From 8pm on Thursday 23 November there’ll be changed access for all side roads between Loch and Childers streets as the crews build the new service road on the western side of Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road.

To minimise impacts to property access, the service road will be built in stages over the coming months:

• 8pm on Thursday 23 November to mid-December 2023: Access to Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road via Camms Road and Childers Street only.

• Mid-December 2023 to mid-January 2024: Access to Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road via Camms Road and Lyall Street only. A new entry point to the service road will also available north of Marklin Street and an exit from the service road will open south of Camms Road.

• Alternative routes to side streets are also available via Sladen and Russell streets or South Gippsland Highway.

Overnight on Thursday 23 November, the new Hunt Club Boulevard intersection will be opened and traffic will be switched onto the new southbound lanes.

To achieve this, Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road between Camms Road and Berwick-Cranborne Road/Sladen Street will be closed.

During this closure, the crews will install safety barriers, complete the traffic switch onto the new lanes and begin work to start building the new service road.

When the new service road opens next year, there will be permanent access changes in place. From mid-2024, several side roads will be opened onto the new service road, in line with the final design.

As part of this upgrade, right-hand turns on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road will be removed permanently across the project. It is important to restrict where cars can turn right (across multiple lanes) into or out of driveways and side streets. This will mean side streets become left in and left out only.

These changes will reduce congestion on Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road and improve safety for all road users by reducing the likelihood and severity of crashes. For the safety of the community and the workforce, these permanent changes will be brought in progressively as work continues down towards the South Gippsland Highway end of the project.

As part of the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade, the crews will:

• add an extra lane in each direction between Thompsons Road and the South Gippsland Highway

• install traffic lights to replace the roundabout at Thompsons Road and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road

• install traffic lights to replace the roundabout at Berwick-Cranbourne Road and Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road

• install new traffic lights at the South Gippsland Highway intersection, Majestic Boulevard and Lyall Street

• install new traffic lights at the pedestrian crossing south of Hunt Club Boulevard

• upgrade intersections at Kingdom Drive, Linsell Boulevard and Rochester Parade

• build new shared walking and cycling paths

• install safety barriers along the road

Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road will become the straight-through movement when travelling north from South Gippsland Highway, reducing traffic on Cranbourne’s High Street and improving the travels through Cranbourne.