EastLink Resurfacing Works

Why is resurfacing needed?

In September 2021, EastLink reached ONE BILLION vehicle trips since EastLink opened in 2008.

Among the one billion EastLink trips there were 70 million trips by heavy commercial vehicles and a further 115 million trips by light commercial vehicles.

The impact of all this traffic on the road surface means that it's time to resurface the whole of EastLink (except inside the tunnels, which is explained below).

Resurfacing provides motorists with the following benefits:

• A safer ride

• A smoother ride

• A quieter ride.

Resurfacing works already completed in the summers of early 2022 and early 2023 

Resurfacing works that have already been completed:

• EastLink southbound has been resurfaced between Springvale Rd and Cheltenham Rd

• EastLink northbound has been resurfaced between Ferntree Gully Rd and Springvale Rd

• Ringwood Bypass has been resurfaced between Ringwood St and EastLink / Maroondah Hwy.

Resurfacing works will be done at night, over at least one more summer

Resurfacing works are done at night, to minimise inconvenience to motorists.

This means that resurfacing can only be done in summertime, as night time temperatures are too low for asphalting works at other times of the year.

From November 2023 to around April 2024 we are conducting another major program of resurfacing (northbound to Ferntree Gully Rd, and southbound from Cheltenham Rd).

Depending on weather and progress, a fourth summer of works may also be needed.

We are resurfacing EastLink one road section and one carriageway at a time

Resurfacing is being done one road section at a time, with the road section being worked on temporarily closed overnight to allow the works to be conducted safely and efficiently.

The top 30mm of the existing road surface is milled off, then replaced with a new open-grade asphalt surface. New line markings are applied to the new road surface.

Each road section is worked on over a number of nights, with the number of nights needed depending on factors such as the length of the road section and the number of running lanes and emergency lanes in the section. Approximately 700 tonnes of asphalt is laid each night.

This means that during the day, a road section might have a temporary running surface with minimal line markings and with a reduced speed limit in place prior to that section being completed.

Rain as well as cold weather can affect resurfacing works

Resurfacing works are very dependent on weather.

If it is too wet or too cold on a work night, the works planned for that night will need to be postponed for another night.

100,000 tonnes of asphalt is being removed and recycled

In total over the course of this project, approximately 100,000 tonnes of asphalt is being ground off and removed from EastLink.

Removed asphalt is immediately returned to the asphalt producer for recycling and re-use in other road construction projects.

Keeping you informed

We will continue to provide regular progress updates about EastLink resurfacing works via email news bulletins as well as on the EastLink website.

Together with messages on EastLink's digital message signs, this will ensure motorists are kept up to date with information about which section of EastLink is being worked on, and about overnight road closures.