Aerial view of the Alchester Village intersection.
Projects

Alchester Village Intersection Upgrade

We are upgrading the Mountain Highway, Colchester Road and Albert Avenue intersection in Boronia to a signalised intersection with additional lanes and safer crossings for pedestrian and cyclists.

Project status:

Underway


Project Update – January 2025

The next phase of construction for the intersection upgrade includes road surfacing works along Mountain Highway, east of the intersection.

Works will occur during the day and night to complete this phase as quickly and efficiently as possible and to minimise disruption to the community and traders.

Traffic detours 9pm Friday 31 January – 6am Monday 3 February 

From 9pm Friday 31 January to 6am Monday 3 February, Mountain Highway will be closed in both directions between the Alchester Village intersection and Dorrigo Drive.

A two-way detour will be in place along Miller Road and Albert Avenue during this stage of works.

All other approaches to the intersection will retain two-way access with the existing traffic arrangements in place.

Traffic controllers will be onsite throughout the works period.

Please see detour map below and follow on-road detour signage and traffic controller instructions when driving though the area during the closure period.

What to expect 

While we work along Mountain Highway, there will be an increase in noise, vibration, light and dust in the vicinity of the construction zone. We will continue to monitor and minimise all impacts as much as possible.

Construction impacts

  • Minor travel delays for vehicles travelling between Miller Rd/Liverpool Rd and the Alchester Village intersection due to the detour along Miller Road and Albert Avenue
  • Medium-to-high noise and vibration during profiling (removal of the top surface layer)
  • Low-to-medium noise and vibration during asphalting and line marking
  • Dust, which will be managed with a water trailer.

Access

  • General traffic will be required to use the detour route along Miller Road and Albert Avenue
  • A local access section will be maintained within the construction/closure area for directly impacted residents
  • Access to all homes, businesses and sports clubs between the work zone and Miller Rd/Liverpool Rd will be maintained throughout the works period
  • Emergency services, heavy vehicles and public transport vehicles will be escorted through the work zone on an individual basis.

We kindly ask all road users to follow signs and traffic controller instructions for your and our crew’s safety.

Detour map

Alchester Village intersection map

Download the detour map

What we’ve done so far

Alchester Village intersection

We’re taking a staged approach to deliver these major works efficiently and safely, while minimising disruption to the community.

Between June 2024 and January 2025 we successfully achieved the following major milestones:

  • Service relocations: substantial service relocations, including power, telecommunications, water and sewerage, have now concluded.
  • Roundabout: During August 2024 we removed the old roundabout and installed a temporary traffic arrangement to keep the intersection operating during construction.
  • Colchester Road: In late September/early October our crews worked on Colchester Road to replace the road foundations and lay a new road surface. We also installed a temporary roundabout and linemarking at the intersection
  • Drainage: Most recently, we have been undertaking substantial drainage works on the north side of the intersection. These works are now complete.

Why drainage matters

Drainage is a fundamental part of road construction. Drainage infrastructure transports water away from the surface and structure of a road to help keep the surface dry. This protects the road from erosion and prevents slippery or unsafe driving conditions. Drainage also helps to prevent runoff into surrounding properties.

Ongoing works

The next milestones for this intersection upgrade include:

  • Surfacing works along Mountain Highway east of the intersection (31 Jan – 3 Feb)
  • Removal of the temporary roundabout, and interim traffic lights installed (some movements will be restricted until the permanent lights are activated)
  • Drainage and pavement works on the southern side of Mountain Highway
  • Installation of additional traffic signal infrastructure
  • Albert Avenue drainage and pavement works
  • Switch-on of permanent signals.

Support for local businesses

While we complete this important upgrade, the Alchester Village shopping precinct remains open for business as usual, with access maintained at all times for traders, suppliers and customers.

In October and November 2024 we ran a digital and social media campaign featuring some familiar faces from the village to reinforce to the community that ‘Alchester Village is open for business’.

We encourage the community to continue to shop locally during works and support local businesses during this important upgrade.

Emergency readiness

We prioritise keeping the community, road users and workers safe during bushfire season. Our approach and planning includes:

  • On higher risk fire days, our contractor will assess the conditions (such as the combination of heat and wind) and make decisions about work activities accordingly.
  • Some work activities require permits to be undertaken on Total Fire Ban days. Our contractor will apply for these permits through the CFA if such work is necessary.

Environmental care

We have worked closely with designers, independent environmental specialists and Knox City Council to retain as many existing trees as possible, balancing this with the need to improve the intersection.

We are partnering with Knox City Council on a comprehensive landscaping program once construction is complete, planting around 90 new trees and 300 shrubs and groundcovers as part of this program.

Public transport changes

Temporary bus stop relocations will be required at times during construction, impacting routes 690 and 755. Please visit the PTV website to stay updated with the latest disruption information.

Project background

This project is part of the Victorian Government’s $117 million Local Road and Intersection Upgrade program, announced in the 2020/21 Budget. The program is targeting suburban roads across Melbourne, reducing bottlenecks for drivers and improving safety for all road users.

The intersection of Mountain Highway, Colchester Road and Albert Avenue is a single lane roundabout from all approaches with left turn slip lanes provided on the north-west and south-east quadrants of the intersection.

Concerns were raised by the community regarding safety at the intersection and difficulties crossing at all legs of the roundabout, particularly during peak periods.

Based on the crash history for the five-year period ending June 2020, there were a total of four crashes at the intersection, including one crash at the Alchester Crescent and Albert Avenue intersection. The crashes involved:

  • The right turn movement at Alchester Crescent, resulting in other injury 
  • Three cross traffic movements, all resulting in other injury.

To address these issues, the Victorian Government has committed funding to replace the existing roundabout with a signalised intersection with additional lanes and new pedestrian crossings. 

Design

Please see below new Alchester Village intersection design:

Image of design map of the Alchester Village intersection

View a larger version of the design map

Artist impressions

Click on the below links to see ‘BEFORE and AFTER’ aerial views, showing artist impressions of the intersection now and once it is complete.

View 1 - Before and After

View 2 - Before and After

View 3 - Before and After

Getting in touch

For more information about this project, please get in touch.

Email: [email protected]