Western Freeway safety upgrade at Pykes Creek finally underway
A $21 million upgrade to the dangerous Pykes Creek section of the Western Freeway has begun, six years after first promised.
The project will fix a winding, uphill stretch of the Western Freeway that sees about 13,000 vehicles daily. The upgrade will widen the road, improve safety barriers, and enable a consistent 110 km/h speed limit.
In the five years to 2019, this stretch recorded 11 casualty crashes, including one death and nine serious injuries. The project was first promised in July 2020 at $5 million but has since cost $21 million.
Works were originally scheduled to start in mid-2023 but faced repeated delays. The federal government is contributing $14.5 million, with the Victorian Government and Transport Accident Commission sharing the rest.
Works are expected to finish by mid-2027.
- $21 million
- Total project cost
- $14.5 million
- Federal government contribution
- 13,000 vehicles
- Daily traffic
- 11 crashes, 1 death, 9 serious injuries
- Casualty crashes 2014-2019
Why it mattersThe upgrade should reduce crashes and injuries on a stretch that has proven consistently dangerous for the tens of thousands who use it weekly.
AustraliaVictorian drivers and truck operators using the Western Freeway will face months of speed reductions and lane closures but ultimately safer conditions on a critical regional freight route.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
