- Calder Freeway
Infobox Australian Road | type=freeway
road_name = Calder Freeway
route_
route_
route_
photo = CalderFreeway.jpg
caption = Calder Freeway facing Mt. Macedon Formerly
length = 94
direction = Northwest - Southeast
start =
finish =
est =
through = Kyneton, Woodend, Macedon, Gisborne, Diggers Rest, Sunbury
route = "Keilor-Essendon:" )
exits = "'"for full list see Exits & Interchanges"
Calder Freeway is a
freeway linkingMelbourne to Kyneton in Victoria,Australia , superseding stretches of theCalder Highway . Originally just a short spur of theTullamarine Freeway linking to the Calder Highway in Keilor in suburban Melbourne, it has been extended in phases to Kyneton subsuming all the older Calder highway stretches. It continues beyond as Calder Highway through to Bendigo and to Mildura. The Victorian Government hopes to complete the duplication of the Calder Highway from Melbourne to Bendigo by the end of2009 .History
The Calder Highway was named after
William Calder , who was chairman of the Victorian road construction authority formerly known as the Country Roads Board from 1913 to 1928. The CRB is today known asVicRoads .The highway was originally allocated a National Route 79 shield. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s this was altered to a designation for the remaining freeway portion into Melbourne.
Originally, the Calder Highway (an undivided highway) started at the end of Keilor Rd in Niddrie. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the road was upgraded to Freeway standard together with the Tullamarine Freeway, ending in Keilor East and rejoining the Calder Highway. By the early 1980s the Freeway was extended to Keilor and then rejoined the Calder highway. However, it was not until the 1990s that work began to duplicate the rest of the highway to Bendigo.
The Calder Highway between the Melton Hwy and the Western Ring Road is shown in the
1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as part of the F4 Freeway corridor, which extends past the Tullamarine Freeway and Bell Street to Templestowe.Route
Just north-west of Kyneton, the Calder Highway, shield (within suburban Melbourne).
Towns bypassed by, but still accessible from, the from this point include:
* Malmsbury
* Kyneton
* Woodend
* Macedon
* Gisborne
* Diggers Rest
* SunburyIt gains the shield.
The freeway ends at the newly reconstructed interchange with the
Tullamarine Freeway , the main route from the central business district toMelbourne Airport . Continuing on the Tullamarine Freeway eventually brings drivers ontoCitylink , and thus, central Melbourne.Upgrades
The upgrade of the Calder Highway is a jointly funded project between the Australian and Victorian Government's at an estimated total cost of $404 million. Between Melbourne and Bendigo, the highway has been upgraded to a high standard four lane divided road for all but 34 km between Malmsbury and Ravenswood, where it reverts to a two lane highway. Construction commenced on upgrading the remaining 34 km in 2005 and will be completed by early 2009.
The Calder Highway Upgrade between Kyneton and Ravenswood will be delivered in two sections: Kyneton to Faraday and Faraday to Ravenswood. Construction on both sections is well underway with construction to be completed by early 2009.
Kyneton to Faraday
Malmsbury Stage Start Date: 24 November 2005,
Completion Date: Forecast early 2009,
Contractor: FRH Group Pty Ltd,
Contract Cost: $153.3 million,
Location: South of Malmsbury East Road to Golden Point Road, Faraday,
Length: 21.2 km
Kyneton North Stage Duplication of the Calder Highway from Wards Lane, Kyneton to Malmsbury East Rd, Malmsbury was opened to the public in January 2005.
Elphinstone Rail Bridge
The contract for construction of the bridge over the Melbourne to Bendigo Railway was completed in February 2006 by Cut and Fill Pty Ltd. Access to the bridge is now open to traffic now that the Malmsbury Stage is completed.
Malmsbury stage opening
The Malmsbury stage of the freeway is 12 months ahead of schedule, and 15km of the stage was opened in April, 2008 in conjunction with the Pyrenees highway connection. This will extend freeway conditions from just south of Malmsbury to the Pyrenees highway interchange near Elphinstone. The intersection of the existing calder highway and Pyrenees highway connection will be traffic light controlled to separate traffic going to Castlemaine and Bendigo.
Faraday To Ravenswood
Harcourt South Stage
Start Date: 18 October 2006,
Completion Date: Forecast early 2009,
Contractor: Winslow Constructors Pty Ltd, Contract Cost: $71.7 million,
Location: Golden Point Road, Faraday to the Midland Highway, Harcourt,
Length: 6.6 km
Harcourt North Stage
Start Date: 1 August 2006, Completion Date: Forecast early 2009,
Contractor: Thiess Pty Ltd,
Contract Cost: $52.8 million, Location: The Midland Highway, Harcourt to Fogarty's Gap Road, Ravenswood,
Length: 6.3 km
Ravenswood Stage
The 6.2 km Ravenswood Stage opened to traffic in May 2005, it runs from Fogartys Gap Road reconnecting with the Calder Highway south of Ravenswood. Key features include 1 bridge, 7 wildlife crossings and a fully equipped rest area for trucks, buses and cars.
For more information visit the VicRoads website [http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/RoadsAndProjects/RoadProjects/RegionalVictoria/CalderCorridor.htm]
Calder Highway / Calder Alternative Route intersection
* Proposed upgrade of the intersection of the Calder Hwy and Calder Alt Route at Ravenswood, to be funded by Auslink 2 (2009-2014) [http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/DOIElect.nsf/$UNIDS+for+Web+Display/916261838FE0E737CA2573A8001536D4/$FILE/AusLink2_CalderHighwayRavenswood.pdf] .
Western Ring Road to Melton Highway
VicRoads is currently widening the section of the Calder Freeway from the Western Ring Road to Melton Highway. The road is being widened from 2 lanes each direction to 3 lanes in each direction. However the upgrade is being done on the cheap with the current emergency lanes being converted to traffic lanes and as a result the speed limit will be reduced permanently from 100km/h to 80km/h. . [cite web|publisher=Herald Sun|title=Freeway slowdown to ease traffic jams in Melbourne|date=12 June 2008|accessdate=2008-07-01|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23849845-2862,00.html]
* Proposed safety and capacity improvements, to funded by Auslink 2 (2009-2014) [http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/DOIElect.nsf/$UNIDS+for+Web+Display/12AED242C1847C45CA2573A800153116/$FILE/AusLink2_CalderFreeway.pdf] .
Exits and interchanges
ee also
*
Freeways in Australia
*Freeways in Victoria
*Road transport in Victoria References
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