Merrifield businesses and residents are set to benefit from a significant upgrade to Donnybrook Road following confirmation of an additional $45 million in government funding towards the upgrade project. The contribution of $37.4 million from the Commonwealth Government, combined with $7.7 million from the Victorian Government, is part of the joint $1.2 billion Road Blitz to upgrade roads, cut traffic and improve safety in Melbourne’s growing suburbs.

The Donnybrook Road upgrade is set to be completed in two stages, with the additional contribution provided to fund Stage 2 of the project specifically. Stage 1 is already in pre-construction and includes converting the roundabout at Donnybrook Road and Mitchell Street into a fully signalised intersection and building a new bridge over Kalkallo Creek. Stage 2 will see a second bridge built over the Hume Highway, and Donnybrook Road duplicated between the Hume Highway and Dwyer Street, reducing congestion and improving traffic flow.

Intersection upgrades will be carried out as part of the development, with the construction of shared walking and cycling paths to be delivered along the northern side of Donnybrook Road between Polaris Road and Dwyer Street. Total investment in the project is over $170 million. The completion date for the project is yet to be confirmed.

MAB welcomes the Donnybrook Road upgrade project and Government funding, which will importantly improve accessibility in the region and build on MAB’s earlier $73 million investment in Donnybrook Road and Aitken Boulevard upgrade works, to service the Merrifield community.