Projects

Forest Drive and Nepean Highway Intersection Upgrade

To improve safety and access for all road users, we’re installing new traffic lights at the Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection in Mount Martha.

Project status:

Underway

Project update - October 2024

Works are underway and progressing to schedule at the intersection of Forest Drive and Nepean Highway.

Crews will be working on Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue from mid-October 2024 to late-February 2025, excluding the summer holiday season from 14 December 2024 to 31 January 2025.

From 14 December 2024 to 31 January 2025 all lanes on Nepean Highway, Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue will be open to keep traffic flowing during the summer holiday season.

In February 2025, works on Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue are expected to restart with road closures and detours in place.

We’ll keep the community updated about the works program and changes to traffic arrangements.

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Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue closure

From mid-October to 13 December 2024, access to the intersection from Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue, and access into Forest Drive from Nepean Highway will be closed.

Detours will be in place on Uralla Road, Bay Road, Somerset Drive, Bradford Road and Bruce Road.
If driveway access to your property needs to be temporarily restricted during construction, our contractor will contact you before work starts.
Expect travel delays up to 30 minutes on detour routes.

Plan ahead and allow extra travel time if Nepean Highway, Forest Drive or Hopetoun Avenue are part of your journey

We thank the community for their patience while we complete this important intersection upgrade.

Detours in place when sections of Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue is closed

Image of Forest Drive and Nepean Highway upgrade map

View a larger version of this map

What to expect

During works, Nepean Highway will remain open with reduced speeds, traffic management and lane closures in place.
Crews will work on site between 7.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and some Saturdays between 7.00am to 2.30pm.
Asphalting works will be carried out at night from 8.00pm to 5.00am to minimise disruption to traffic during peak hours.
Temporary closure of two bus stops near the intersection during works
Reduced speeds in the work area to keep crews and road users safe
Periods of high noise levels, vibrations, and dust – we’ll minimise these impacts as much as possible.

What we’re doing

As part of this upgrade, we will be:

installing traffic lights with a signalised pedestrian crossing on Nepean Highway
constructing concrete footpaths connecting the intersection to nearby bus stops
widening the intersection to improve access for large vehicles and provide an extra northbound lane on Nepean Highway
realigning Forest Drive to provide a dedicated right turn lane and left turn lane into Nepean Highway
adding green surfacing on existing bike lanes near the intersection, to improve safety and the riding experience for bike riders
installing painted road markings on Nepean Highway to separate the northbound bike lane from traffic
upgrading the two existing bus stops near the intersection on Nepean Highway, with new bus bays, shelters and platforms
constructing a new vehicle pick-up and drop-off area near the southbound bus stop on Nepean Highway
installing flashing advance warning signs on approach to the intersection, to increase awareness of the upcoming traffic lights
installing safety barriers on Nepean Highway, Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue to prevent run-off crashes
realigning the driveway opposite Forest Drive and providing new access via Range Road
reconstructing and resurfacing sections of Nepean Highway, Forest Drive and Hopetoun Avenue at the intersection.

Environmental care

To deliver this upgrade, we’ll need to remove up to 110 trees and shrubs around the intersection to improve visibility and safety and provide enough room to construct the new intersection.

We have worked closely with designers and environmental teams to retain as many existing trees and shrubs as possible, while balancing this with the critical need to improve safety for the community and road users. During construction, a further assessment will be carried out to determine if any vegetation marked for removal can be retained.

Environmental sustainability is an important part of this project. We’ll plant 160 native trees and over 9,000 shrubs and tussocks near the intersection when the upgrade is completed.

Some of the trees we remove will be mulched and used for landscaping works within the work area, while others will be retained for animal habitat around the intersection.

Artist impressions

Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade - overhead view

Image description - Artist impression of the Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade from an overhead view, facing north.

Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade – ground-level view

Image description - Artist impression of the Forest Drive and Nepean Highway intersection upgrade from a ground-level view. A traffic light with a green signal is in the foreground and cars are moving through the intersection.

Detailed intersection map

Image of map showing the overarching view of the Forest Drive and Nepean Highway upgrades

View a larger version of the map

Image description - A map showing a close-up view of the planned intersection upgrade at Nepean Highway and Forest Drive. The map shows the key features of the upgrade, including the traffic lights, pedestrian crossing, footpaths, vehicle drop off area, and new lane configuration.

Project background

Nepean Highway is a busy arterial road, located close to the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay. Approximately 18,000 vehicles travel along this highway in Mount Martha every day.

Forest Drive is one of the key intersections along Nepean Highway providing access into Mount Martha.

This intersection is located at the top of a hill and creates limited visibility for drivers on Forest Drive to see vehicles driving uphill towards the intersection from both sides of Nepean Highway.

Limited visibility and the constant flow of traffic make it difficult for drivers to find safe gaps to enter into or exit from Forest Drive onto Nepean Highway.

In the 10 years leading up to July 2023, 10 crashes were reported at the Nepean Highway and Forest Drive intersection and five crashes caused serious injury. Tragically, one person lost their life.

This $10 million upgrade has been funded by the Australian Government under the Infrastructure Investment Program.

Benefits

We’re upgrading this intersection to:

provide safer and easier access for drivers entering and exiting Forest Drive and Nepean Highway.
improve safety for vulnerable road users including bike riders, pedestrians and public transport users.
improve traffic flow on Forest Drive.
help meet the traffic demands in the area now and into the future population in the area.