Princes Highway and McEacharn Street intersection upgrade, Bairnsdale

Update – April 2025

Works on the new roundabout at the Princes Highway and McEacharn Street intersection in Bairnsdale are complete.

Construction work began in October 2024 and have now been completed two months ahead of schedule.

The benefits of the upgrade include better connections to and from Bairnsdale’s growth and development areas.

Road safety and traffic flow have been improved and the likelihood of serious crashes reduced. The intersection is also safer for pedestrians.

The works of this project included: 

• construction of a new dual lane roundabout at the Princes Highway and McEacharn Street intersection
• extra lanes on the Princes Highway between the entrance to Howitt Park playground and Alexander Parade western intersection
• realignment of the Dickeson Lane entry to maintain current access
• upgrades to the Princes Highway and Alexander Parade western intersection including a new right turn lane from the highway
• upgrades to the Princes Highway and Hadfield Street intersection including a new left turn lane from the highway
• conversion of the Hadfield Street and Alexander Parade intersection into exit only for Alexander Parade residents.
• new left turn lane from the highway into Howitt Park playground area
• completion of a shared path from the Mitchell River bridge connecting to Great Alpine Road.

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Overview

This project is a $9.7 million investment as part of the Australian Government’s $316.3 million commitment to upgrade the Princes Highway Corridor in Victoria, delivered in partnership with the Victorian Government.

We have been working with the Bairnsdale community to understand road network issues since 2017.

The population of Bairnsdale has grown significantly over the past decade, increasing the number of vehicles on the town’s road network.

This population growth is predicted to grow a further 27 per cent between 2016 and 2036 with significant growth areas in Eastwood and Lucknow suburbs situated north of the Princes Highway and McEacharn Street intersection.

The Princes Highway and McEacharn Street intersection was identified by the community as a high priority intersection.

A roundabout was identified as the preferred option based on community feedback, improved safety and traffic flow benefits.

The Princes Highway is one of only two roads in Bairnsdale that cross the Mitchell River.

These works complement the recently completed traffic signals at the Wy Yung Road (Bullumwaal Road) and Howitt Avenue intersection, improving traffic flow and safety in Bairnsdale. For more details, visit the project page.

Learn more

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

• Email: [email protected]
• Call:    133 778
• Write: Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), GPO Box 2392, Melbourne 3001

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