Peninsula Link (Frankston Bypass) is a freeway under construction that will complete the missing sections of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, running from the EastLink interchange at Seaford, Melbourne, running along the eastern fringe of Frankston. It will run via Baxter and Moorooduc, almost parallel to the existing arterial Moorooduc Highway.
On 15 January 2010, Southern Way was awarded the contract to build and deliver the project.
For more information visit the Linking Melbourne Authority website: [1]
It would be expected that the entire length of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, from Springvale Road to Jetty Road, will be renamed Peninsula Link.
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The freeway has been proposed numerous times over the years, appearing in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan. The Mornington Peninsula Freeway was progressively opened at each end by the 1980s, with the Frankston Freeway also opened running south from Carrum Downs into Frankston itself. The contract for the construction of the EastLink Tollway north from Carrum Downs was signed in 2004,[1] with construction starting the next year.
In early 2006 operator of EastLink, ConnectEast, offered to build the bypass by June 2009, but was rejected by the state government.[2] The government would be required to contribute $100 million to the project, which would also have been funded through a 1c-2c increase in tolls. ConnectEast also wanted the EastLink concession period extended from 39 to 49 years.[3] A leaked report sent by VicRoads to the City of Frankston in 2006 and obtained by the State Opposition in 2008 showed the cost of building the Frankston bypass was $240 million.[4]
In October 2006 $6.5 million was allocated by the Bracks Government towards extra ramps at the Frankston end of EastLink to cater for a future bypass. Recommended by the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA), the Transport Minister said that "no decision has been made about the requirement for a bypass of Frankston".[5] For the 2006 State Election Liberal opposition leader Ted Baillieu promised $250 million to build a 22 kilometre long road toll free. Peter Batchelor responded that the costing did not add up, with smaller projects costing more.[6]
Also in October 2006 then Transport Minister Peter Batchelor announced that an Environment Effects Statement would be carried out by SEITA for the bypass, and $20 million would be spent on changes to the Cranbourne-Frankston Road and Moorooduc Road intersection.[7] Work on the EES started in March 2007 at a cost of $5 million.[8]
The opening of EastLink and the interchange with the northern section of the Mornington Peninsula Freeway in 2008 led to speculation of congestion on the Frankston Freeway, especially at the southern terminus at McMahons Road on the Moorooduc Highway. VicRoads however did not publicly anticipate such congestion would actually occur, with Federal MP Bruce Billson raising this issue in the local press and in parliament.[9] The Victorian Transport Minister Peter Batchelor has stated that simply because the freeway's projected path appears on a map (referring to the route shown in the Melway), that this does not mean that the road is intended to, or will ever actually be built. City of Frankston councillors however, along with Mr. Billson, are pushing for the bypass to be built.
On 28 October 2007 the Federal Liberal Party pledged a maximum of $150 million towards constructing the road toll free if elected, to be matched by Victorian Government.[9] They were defeated at the election. In April 2008 the Southern and Eastern Integrated Transport Authority (SEITA) decided that the preferred option for a Frankston Bypass was a high standard, continuous, duplicated road in the existing road reserve from Carrum Downs to Mount Martha. A group of Moorooduc residents claimed they were not consulted in the first phase of the project, and the figures had been skewed to show public support for the selected preferred option.[10]
The report said:
Traffic on the Moorooduc Highway through Frankston is expected to increase from 45,000 vehicles per day to around 60,000 vehicles per day in 2031....it would take 75 minutes to travel between the southern end of Eastlink and the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha during peak periods in 2031. A high standard, continuous, duplicated road from the southern end of Eastlink to the Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha would reduce travel time in 2031 to around 20 minutes. These projected traffic conditions would arise, even with planned upgrades to roads such as the widening of Western Port Highway. 84% of people who provided feedback during Phase 1 supported a bypass.
The Frankston Bypass would be a 25 km freeway standard road with two lanes in each direction with a speed limit of 100 km/h. A full grade separated junction would be provided with EastLink and the Frankston Freeway, along with full grade separated diamond interchanges at Dandenong-Frankston Road, Cranbourne Road, Golf Links Road, Frankston-Flinders Road, Bungower Road and Old Moorooduc Road / Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Interchanges at Skye Road and Mornington-Tyabb Road will have half diamond grade separated with northbound entry, southbound exit ramps. The cost was estimated between $500 million to $750 million.
In September 2008 ConnectEast held talks with Roads Minister Tim Pallas, but the State Government refused to discuss the issue with the media, or promise to build it without tolls.[3] On 16 October 2008 State Premier John Brumby announced the bypass would be built. Costing $700 million and now 27 kilometres long, work would start by the end of 2009. The State Government expected the project would be paid for in partnership with the Federal Government,[11] and confirmed that it would be toll free.[12]
In December 2007 three route options had been decided on for further investigation into the proposed Frankston Bypass, as follows:
Option 1 - Frankston Bypass as a Freeway in the Reserved Corridor
This option involves a freeway standard road along the existing road reserve for a Frankston Bypass from Carrum Downs to Mount Martha. This land was reserved for a possible bypass in the 1960s and is shown in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula planning schemes. Around 60 per cent of the reserved corridor land is owned by the State Government. SEITA will also investigate the effects of constructing an arterial standard road in this bypass reserve.
Option 2 - Frankston Bypass in the Reserved Corridor to Mount Eliza then upgrading Moorooduc Highway to a Freeway to Mount Martha
An alternative option is to build a Bypass along the existing reserve to Mount Eliza and then upgrade the Moorooduc Highway to a freeway standard road. The Bypass reserve would connect to the Moorooduc Highway near Sages Road. This option would involve the construction of service roads and interchanges to provide access to properties along the Moorooduc Highway.
Option 3 – Frankston Bypass in the Reserved Corridor to Mount Eliza then existing Moorooduc Highway to Mount Martha
This option involves constructing a freeway standard road along the Bypass reserve to Mount Eliza. This freeway would also connect to the existing Moorooduc Highway at Sages Road. However, in this option, the Moorooduc Highway would remain an arterial standard road.
The option of upgrading existing roads has not been assessed as a part of the EES investigation.
| Peninsula Link | |||
| Northbound exits | Distance to Melbourne (km) |
Distance to Portsea (km) |
Southbound exits |
| End Frankston Bypass continues as Mornington Peninsula Freeway to Springvale |
47 | 66 | Start Frankston Bypass from Mornington Peninsula Freeway |
| Melbourne EastLink |
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| Frankston, Dandenong Dandenong Valley Highway |
49 | 64 | Dandenong, Frankston Dandenong Valley Highway |
| no exit | 53 | 60 | Langwarrin, Frankston Skye Road |
| Frankston, Cranbourne Cranbourne-Frankston Road |
55 | 58 | Cranbourne, Frankston Cranbourne-Frankston Road |
| STONY POINT RAIL LINE | 56 | 57 | STONY POINT RAIL LINE |
| Frankston, Baxter Golf Links Road |
57 | 56 | Baxter, Frankston Golf Links Road |
| Frankston, Hastings Frankston-Flinders Road |
59 | 54 | Hastings, Frankston Frankston-Flinders Road |
| Mornington, Somerville Bungower Road |
65 | 48 | Somerville, Mornington Bungower Road |
| no exit | 67 | 46 | Tyabb, Mornington Mornington-Tyabb Road |
| Moorooduc, Balnarring Moorooduc Highway / Old Moorooduc Road |
72 | 41 | Balnarring, Moorooduc Moorooduc Highway / Old Moorooduc Road |
| Start Frankston Bypass continues from Mornington Peninsula Freeway (Dromana section) |
End Frankston Bypass continues as Mornington Peninsula Freeway (Dromana section) to Portsea |
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