Victoria’s Eastern Freeway upgrade has cleared its final planning hurdle. The Urban Design and Landscape Plan for the Tram Road to Springvale Road section was approved by the Minister for Planning in April 2026, with major construction now underway.

Two large consortiums are on the ground simultaneously. The Synergy consortium, CPB Contractors, BMD Constructions and Arup, is delivering earthworks, piling, ramp construction and underground service relocation for VIDA Roads (Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority Roads). A separate contract from Hoddle Street to Burke Road sits with the Momentum consortium: John Holland, Seymour Whyte, Jacobs and Mott Macdonald. Both packages carry substantial subcontract and labour opportunities. Roads & Infrastructure Magazine independently confirmed the planning approval and noted the Burke Road to Tram Road stage will deliver six new express lanes, Eastern Busway lanes, and 11 km of walking and cycling paths.

The scale is hard to miss. All three packages combined will add more than 45 km of new lanes to the corridor. Travel times between Springvale Road and Hoddle Street will drop by up to 11 minutes. Peak-hour speeds through the Tram Road to Springvale Road section, currently as low as 45 km/h, are expected to rise above 85 km/h, with up to 100 km/h possible off-peak. Three new freeway lanes run from Middleborough Road to Springvale Road alone.

The plan drew genuine public interest before sign-off. On exhibition from 1 to 28 September 2025, it was viewed online more than 6,700 times; 125 formal submissions came in and over 60 people attended information sessions in person. Approved works include 1.6 km of Koonung Creek Trail improvements, upgraded underpasses, two new bridges to Eram Park, new noise walls, and an Intelligent Transport System. Those noise walls will meet a 58-decibel night-time standard, the first time that benchmark has been applied to a road project in Victoria.

The Eastern Freeway works are timed to open in 2028 alongside the North East Link tunnels and the M80 Ring Road Completion. North East Link is projected to cut travel times by a further 35 minutes and remove 15,000 trucks a day from local roads once it’s operational.

For civil and construction tradies in Victoria, it’s multi-year work with a clear pipeline. Trades in demand across both packages include civil earthworks, concrete and formwork, piling, noise-wall installation, drainage, electrical work for the Intelligent Transport System, and landscaping and revegetation. The project runs through to 2028, well beyond the next wet season.

Frequently asked questions

Which trades are in demand on the Eastern Freeway upgrade?

The project needs civil earthworks, concrete and formwork, piling, noise-wall installation, drainage, electrical work for the Intelligent Transport System, and landscaping and revegetation across both construction packages.

How long will construction on the Eastern Freeway last?

Major construction is underway now and the project runs through to 2028, when the Eastern Freeway works are scheduled to open alongside the North East Link tunnels and the M80 Ring Road Completion.

Who are the main contractors on the Eastern Freeway upgrade?

Two consortiums are working simultaneously: Synergy (CPB Contractors, BMD Constructions and Arup) and Momentum (John Holland, Seymour Whyte, Jacobs and Mott Macdonald), both contracted through VIDA Roads.

Sourced from Infrastructure Magazine, Roads & Infrastructure Magazine (roadsonline.com.au), VIDA Roads, BMD Group. Original article.