Melbourne commuters are bracing for traffic chaos in the new year after a sudden announcement that the city’s busiest road will be closed for eight days.
Hoddle Street will be completely shut down from January 7 to January 14 between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade.
The news has left residents and businesses fuming about the closure of the major road with only three weeks’ notice given.
Melbourne commuters are bracing for traffic chaos in the new year after a sudden announcement the city’s busiest road (pictured) will be closed for eight days
Hoddle Street will be completely shut down from January 7 to January 14 between the Eastern Freeway and Victoria Parade (pictured)
Construction crews will be working around the clock during those eight days, adding a third entry lane and strengthening the bridge over the freeway.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made an apology on social media for the closure, and asking people to plan ahead.
‘It will be a serious inconvenience for a lot of people,’ he said.
‘I promise this will be worth it. The work to bring our road and public transport system into the 21st century can’t magically happen overnight.
The news has left residents and businesses fuming about the closure of the major road (pictured) with only three weeks notice given
Construction crews will be working around the clock during those eight days, adding a third entry lane and strengthening the bridge over the freeway (pictured is the construction area)
‘The construction involved will inevitably cause inconvenience to drivers, commuters, pedestrians and traders in the short term.
‘But if we don’t act soon, Melbourne will eventually grind to a halt.
‘And once all these projects are complete, the long term benefits to congestion and traffic flow will make a real difference.’
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made an apology on social media (pictured) for the closure, and asking people to plan ahead
Facebook users reacted to the announcement with a mixture of praise, criticism and humour (pictured)
The RACV said Melbourne motorists should have been given more notice, and were critical of the Christmas period timing.
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‘Many commuters have locked in their travel plans, and so have the businesses they work for,’ a spokesman said on 3AW radio.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the short-term inconvenience would be worth it over the long-term, The Age reported.
‘It’ll allow construction crews to get the best start to this project during school holidays and spare drivers from three months of ongoing closures,’ he said.
Facebook users reacted to the announcement with a mixture of praise, criticism and humour.
‘How about fixing some other problem or doing some other random project that would impact me personally,’ wrote one user.
‘Actually better if you don’t, then I’d have to find something else to complain about.’
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the short-term inconvenience would be worth it over the long-term (pictured is the construction area)
Over 330,000 people a day use Hoddle Street and Punt Road, making it Melbourne’s busiest arterial road and a vital public transport link (pictured)
‘Given the usual pace of traffic on Hoddle Street, I think most drivers wouldn’t notice if it was closed or not,’ wrote another.
Some applauded the efforts, saying: ‘Well done Premier… you and your team continually blow me away with the amount of stuff your fixing… best Premier ever.’
The Streamlining Hoddle Street initiative aims to improve the road by introducing continuous flow intersections and using new technology.
Over 330,000 people a day use Hoddle Street and the connecting Punt Road, making it Melbourne’s busiest arterial road and a vital public transport link.
The Streamlining Hoddle Street initiative aims to improve the road by introducing continuous flow intersections and using new technology (pictured is a current intersection)