The need

Pakenham has long experienced major congestion issues as the population growth has far exceeded the capacity of the road network.

Council welcomes major investment from the Australian and Victorian governments in recent years that has funded upgrades of McGregor Road, Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road, and sections of Racecourse Road.

Even after these upgrades, there are still bottlenecks in Pakenham’s major commuter routes that cause congestion. As Pakenham’s population continues to grow, particularly with the development of Pakenham East, more work is needed to address traffic congestion.

Racecourse Road is a major bottleneck that restricts the flow of traffic between the Princes Highway and the Monash Freeway. Duplicating the full length of the road and upgrading the intersection with the Princes Highway will help reduce travel times and traffic across the local road network.

The plan

Council will deliver additional lanes in each direction along Racecourse Road, Pakenham, between the Princes Highway and Henry Street.

The project will also include an upgrade of the intersection between the Princes Highway and Racecourse Road to increase traffic flow.

Benefits to the community

Over two thirds of Cardinia Shire residents leave the area for work every day. This places major pressure on arterial connections like the Monash Freeway, as well as the roads that feed into them. Far too many Pakenham residents will be familiar with the extended wait times to get on the freeway, just to sit in traffic.

Racecourse Road is a key connection between the north and south of Pakenham, and the Monash Freeway in particular. The duplication will ease the backlog of traffic as cars merge from 3 to 2 lanes, as well as expanding the Princes Highway intersection and allowing more cars through at once.

This will not only help commuters access the freeway but will ease congestion across the local road network, improving traffic flow and reducing travel times for local trips. Residents of Pakenham have put up with the stresses of major congestion for too long. It is time that they had a road network that focuses on getting them home sooner and safer.