The Bulmans Road Corridor is an important link for the region, connecting the suburbs of Harkness and Melton West to the township of Melton, Woodgrove Shopping Centre and the Western Freeway.

Two schools and the Westlake Reserve along Bulmans Road generate significant traffic volumes, resulting in safety and congestion concerns during peak hours.

The upgrade of the corridor from the Western Freeway to Centenary Avenue will help address these concerns for all users – including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and bus companies.

The project scope of work included

• Urbanisation of three kilometres of Bulmans Road and High Street (kerbs, underground drainage and centre median islands).
• Road widening and realignment.
• Signalisation of High Street and Bulmans Road with allowance for future duplication of Bulmans Road to cross over and connect to the Western Freeway.
• Additional services roads.
• Centralised school bus interchange for five buses and upgrade of bus stops along current bus routes.
• Formalised on-street parking and school crossings.
• Shared paths, footpaths, cyclist lanes and associated links.
• Relocation of underground services and overhead high voltage cables and associated third-party infrastructure.

BG&E undertook the following services

• Multiple concept designs based on the client’s brief, with the preferred concept selected after comprehensive stakeholder engagement with the schools, local residents and bus companies.
• Detailed design and issued for construction drawings for the road and drainage upgrade, including the upgrade of bus stops and provision of shared use pathways.
• SIDRA analysis and signalised intersection design for the High Street and Bulmans Road Intersection.
• Scoped and procured site investigations, including:
• Authority services location surveys.
• Geotechnical testing to enable pavement design and contamination classification.
• Arborist assessment of all impacted trees.
• Cultural heritage management plan.
• Flora and fauna assessment.
• Traffic surveys.
• Road safety audits.
• Identification of service impacts and coordination of relocation and protection designs, including procurement of authority works offers.
• Management and coordination of subconsultants for the design of traffic signals, public lighting and landscape design works.
• Cost estimation and staging for the works including provision of tender schedules and quantities.
• Construction phase services for Stage One.

BG&E was engaged by The Shire of Melton for detailed design services in 2020. The complexity of the project was greater than originally anticipated and to suit Council funding, BG&E proposed a two stage construction approach:

• Stage One works commenced in July 2023 for the section of Bulmans Road between Westlake Drive and Centenary Avenue and is expected to be completed in December 2024.
• Stage Two works are programmed for construction in 2025 and include the Signalisation of High Street and Bulmans Road along with approaches.