Eltham Urban Congestion Fund Project

  • Project typeTransport improvements
  • Project value$5 million
  • Project scheduleExpected completion December 2025
Artist's render showing an intersection and footpath

Background

The Eltham Urban Congestion Fund project features a range of traffic and transport initiatives to make the Eltham Activity Centre more pedestrian friendly and connected, improving pedestrian safety and traffic congestion.

The project has been undertaken in separate phases:

  • Upgrades to Bible Street (complete)
  • Upgrades to Eltham Central Oval (complete)
  • Upgrades to Luck Street (complete)
  • Upgrades to intersection of York Street and Panther Place (complete)
  • Upgrades to Main Road (underway - see 'Project updates' below)
    • Upgrades to St Lawrence Lane (underway - see 'Project updates' below)
    • Upgrades at Arthur Street (starting July 2024)
    • Upgrades around Eltham Bus Terminal (scheduled completion date 31 December 2025)

Council endorsed the final project plan in September 2021, following an extensive community consultation process. More than 900 contributions were received and, in response, the plans underwent a number of modifications and improvements to address the issues raised. To read more about the consultation process see the project page on our Participate Nillumbik website

Funding details

  • $5 million through the Australian Government's Urban Congestion Fund 

Works include

A range of traffic and transport initiatives to make the Eltham Activity Centre more pedestrian friendly and connected, while reducing congestion in the area.

Main Road and Eltham Activity Centre works

  • Main Road and Arthur Street intersection works (including St Laurence Lane kerb outstands)
  • Zebra linemarking at the entrance to the Eltham bus terminal
  • Main Road and Pryor Street raised threshold crossing
  • Main Road pedestrian and bus traffic signals at Eltham bus terminal exit
  • Main Road and Luck Street raised pedestrian crossings
  • Arthur Street raised pedestrian crossing (at Woolworths)
  • Pryor Street raised pedestrian crossing (at Commercial Place)
  • Pryor Street raised pedestrian crossing (at Woolworths)
  • Main Road and Panther Place raised threshold crossing
  • Main Road and York Street raised threshold crossing

Eltham Central Oval works

  • Reconstruction of circulatory road and drainage around the western wing of Eltham Central Oval, including new sealed car parking
  • Reconstruction of a small section of the Diamond Creek Trail to the northern boundary
  • Reconstruction of existing parking and construction of new parking on the south-east corner of Eltham Central Oval
  • Construction of a new footpath from Eltham Library to Eltham Child Care Co-Operative
  • Landscaping of kerb outstands on the western wing of Eltham Central Oval, traffic islands in the south-east corner of Eltham Central Oval, landscaping in the vicinity of the Eltham Trestle Bridge
  • Construction of new parking at the rear of the Eltham Central Oval Pavilion (this element was delayed due to the Eltham Car Parks for Commuters project declaration for construction activities)

Bible Street works

  • Bible Street and Luck Street raised platform intersection and kerb outstands 
  • Bible Street and Pryor Street raised platform intersection and kerb outstands
  • Bible Street and Arthur Street roundabout pedestrian crossings on each leg
  • Bible Street near Henry Street raised pedestrian crossing 
  • Parking lane linemarking on western side of Bible Street, no parking on eastern side and new linemarking
  • 73 Bible Street speed hump

Project updates

Main Road and Eltham Activity Centre works

July 2024

Works on upgrades to the accessible parking bay outside healthAbility have been completed, bringing this up to modern design standards.

Works on St Lawrence Lane are underway and are forecast to be completed by mid-July. This includes re-grading of the slope, applying an anti-slip treatment, providing new kerb-buildouts and the partial removal of fencing at St Lawrence Lane to improve access for pedestrians; particularly those with mobility issues.

Work on Main Road (excluding landscaping) continues to progress overnight and is due to be completed by mid-July.

Work at Arthur Street is due to start in July to install two new raised pedestrian crossings. 

May 2024

Four new raised pedestrian crossings, three in Pryor St and one at the top of Arthur St, have been completed. Work on a further two in Arthur St are expected to be undertaken in June, along with changes to the intersection at the corner of Main Road.

Works are starting on 27 May on kerb, footpath and landscaping works at the corner of Main Road and St Laurence Lane.
There will also be upgrades to the accessible parking bay outside healthAbility. 

These works will be undertaken overnight from 8pm-6am and there may be Main Road lane closures during this time.

February 2024

Works started February 27 on traffic improvements in the Eltham Activity Centre including six new raised pedestrian crossings in Pryor and Arthur Streets. Work will be completed in stages to minimise disruption to traders and shoppers.

The final stage of work will involve changes to the intersection at the corner of Main Road and Arthur Street, making Arthur Street left turn only into Main Road.

Kerb footpath and landscaping works will also be completed at the corner of Main Road and St Laurence Lane.

Department of Transport has provided Consent for Works for the traffic improvements along Main Road.

The detailed design has included Service Authority Engagement, Underground Services Proving, Geotechnical Investigation and Pavement Design, Street Lighting Assessment and Preliminary Design, Civil Detailed Design, Traffic Signal Layout Plan and a Stage 2 Road Safety Audit.

Works are expected to be complete by August 2024.

August - November 2023

Luck Street, Diamond Street, York Street and Panther Place works completed.

Eltham Central Oval works - complete

September 2023

Stage 4 of works, at the rear of the Eltham Central Oval Pavillion, started July 2023 and was completed September 2023.

April 2023

Works on stages 1-3 are complete:

  • Stage 1: Top asphalt car park area (closest to the U3A/Football/Cricket Club) commenced mid Jan 2023, completed 31 January 2023 (delivered four weeks early)
  • Stage 2: Upper car park area (closest to the Co-Op), commenced February 2023, completed 2 March 2023 (completed in time for the Eltham Rotary Festival and Eltham Senior Cricket Finals)
  • Stage 3: Western wing and Diamond Creek Trail commenced 5 March 2023, completed 24 April 2023

January 2023

Works commence.

December 2022

Council awarded contracts for the detailed design of car park improvements at Eltham Central Oval car park and civil works to MJ Construction.

The detailed design works consist of the following elements

  • reconstruction of circulatory road and drainage around the western wing of Eltham Central Oval, including new sealed car parking;
  • reconstruction and improvements to a section of the Diamond Creek Trail to the northern boundary;
  •  reconstruction of existing parking and construction of new parking on the south-east corner of Eltham Central Oval;
  • construction of a new footpath from Eltham Library to Eltham Child Care Co-Operative; and
  • landscaping of kerb outstands on the western wing of Eltham Central Oval, traffic islands in the south-east corner of Eltham Central Oval, landscaping in the vicinity of the Eltham Trestle Bridge. 

Bible Street works - complete

December 2022

Works complete

May 2022

Council awarded the tender for traffic improvements in Bible Street, Eltham, to MJ Construction, in the first phase of the implementation of the $5 million Eltham Urban Congestion Fund Project.

The works include the installation of raised intersection treatments and pedestrian crossings, kerb works, footpaths, line marking, signage and minor drainage improvements along the street as well as changes to parking.

The Department of Transport approved the reduction in the speed limit in Bible Street from 50km/h to 40km/h between Cecil and Taylor streets. 

Other works

The program of works for the Urban Congestion Fund adopted by Council in September 2021 also includes a number of projects that require third party approvals/discussions):

  • Commence discussions with VicTrack/Metro/Department of Transport on the legal process to close St Laurence Lane to vehicular traffic;
  • Commence discussion with St Vincent’s Health and VicTrack on a longer-term ‘missing link’ to the Diamond Creek Trail;
  • Adoption of 40 km/h zone on local roads of Bible Street (from Cecil Street to York Street); Cecil Street, Pryor Street, Arthur Street (up to Bible Street), Commercial Place, Taylor Street and Panther Place; and
  • Complete a Traffic Signal Route Review to improve the operation of traffic lights to coordinate traffic signals along Main Road to minimise stops and delays.

These third-party discussions have commenced and will be ongoing actions throughout the program of works.

The Traffic Signal Route Review will be completed at the end of the project, at traffic signal commissioning stage. 

Map of works

View the Eltham Urban Congestion Fund Transport Works map(PNG, 277KB)
 

Location

Main Road, Eltham 3095  View map

Google Map