Skip to main content

Intelligent Transport System for Australia's Monash Freeway

Sluggish peak-hour traffic on Melbourne's busiest road, the Monash Freeway, will flow about 20 km/h faster when new technology is introduced, thanks to a US$78.2 million cash injection from the Australian Government to help improve traffic flow, with the money to go towards installing and upgrading intelligent transport systems on a 34.5-kilometre stretch of the road in Melbourne's east. The commitment is intended to be matched by the Victorian government and will go towards technology such as variable spee
May 14, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Sluggish peak-hour traffic on Melbourne's busiest road, the Monash Freeway, will flow about 20 km/h faster when new technology is introduced, thanks to a US$78.2 million cash injection from the Australian Government to help improve traffic flow, with the money to go towards installing and upgrading intelligent transport systems on a 34.5-kilometre stretch of the road in Melbourne's east.

The commitment is intended to be matched by the Victorian government and will go towards technology such as variable speed limits, electronic signs directing vehicles between lanes, new entry ramp signals and hard shoulder running during peak hour.

The changes will help peak-hour traffic flow at up to 75 km/h, an improvement of between 14 km/h and 21 km/h on current speeds, the federal government estimates.

''Retrofitting the motorway with this cutting-edge technology would give authorities the tools to better manage traffic flows, respond quickly to accidents and deliver real-time information to motorists so they can plan their journeys and avoid frustrating delays,'' federal transport minister Anthony Albanese said.

''It's all about getting the most out of the infrastructure we've already built, which is a far smarter and cheaper option than simply building more and bigger roads.''

Related Content

  • January 15, 2014
    South west’s first smart motorway opens
    The first smart motorway scheme in the UK’s south west has been officially launched, covering seven miles of motorway around the Almondsbury interchange and including junctions 19-20 on the M4 and junctions 15-17 on the M5. It is designed to help reduce congestion and improve safety and journey times by introducing variable speed limits and opening the hard shoulder during busy traffic periods. The improvements to the M4 and M5 use a range of technologies and operational systems to reduce congestion and
  • January 31, 2012
    Seattle's 'Smarter Highways' recognised by ITS America
    The Seattle Smarter Highways initiative has been recognised by ITS America with a Smart Solution Spotlight award for using innovative technology to create a safer, cleaner, more efficient and sustainable transportation system.
  • June 18, 2014
    Highways Agency awards maintenance contracts to telent
    Technology services company telent has won three prestigious five year contracts worth over US$25.4 million with the UK Highways Agency to maintain critical roadside technology across the east, south-east and M25 regions' motorways and trunk roads. telent now manages all routine and reactive maintenance for over 12,000 technology assets, such as emergency roadside telephones, message signs, traffic signal sites, the Highways Agency weather stations, CCTV cameras, tunnels and many more. The company’
  • April 18, 2016
    Victorian Government to fund second river crossing
    The Victorian Government in Australia is to provide the full funding for the Western Distributor Project, a second river crossing which includes the Monash Freeway Upgrade and upgrades to Webb Dock, after the Federal Government rejected a request for a contribution to the funding. Construction of the US$4.2 billion (AU$5.5 billion) Western Distributor will start in 2017, local motorists paying for the rest of it with tolls extended until 2045. The Government and Transurban in Australia have now signed