Superloads on the move from the Port of Melbourne to Watsonia on 8, 9 & 21 September

On Friday 8 September and Saturday 9 September, a 308 tonne superload will be travelling from the Port of Melbourne to Watsonia. Large supporting infrastructure will also make its way to Watsonia from Deer Park on Thursday 21 September.

These loads can be nearly 308 tonnes with some over 60 metres long which means they must travel very slowly, at speeds between 25km/h and 40km/h. Some are over 10 metres wide and will take up the entire width of the road, so can’t be overtaken most of the time.  

The load will be travelling in stages, across three nights to reduce the impact on the road network and alleviate congestion for drivers. 

Night 1: 8 September, 10pm – 2.30am, Port of Melbourne to Derrimut

Night 2: 9 September, 10pm – 5am, Derrimut to Watsonia

Roads that will be impacted include Footscray Road, Moreland Street, Whitehall Street, Francis Street, Geelong Road, McDonald Road, Somerville Road, Fairbairn Road, Boundary Road, M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Highway.

View a larger version of the route map

Night 3: 21 September, 11pm – 5am, Deer Park to Watsonia

Roads that will be impacted include Christies Road, Deer Park Bypass, M80 Ring Road and Greensborough Highway.

There will be rolling lane closures along the planned route as the superloads travel through and at times, the superloads will need to move to the wrong side of the road. This means motorists in both directions will be impacted. Lanes will progressively reopen after the superloads have passed

We will have traffic management in place and load escorts travelling with the superloads for the entire journey, making sure your roads are safe during and after the move.

They’ll be helping to manoeuvre the vehicle safely around corners, temporarily removing signage and lights, placing steel supports over existing drainage and then putting everything back in place once the superloads have passed through. 

This is a very complex operation due to the size and weight of the superloads so there are no designated viewing opportunities. Please keep clear during transit and when the superloads are parked, as safety is our number one priority. 

Plan your journey, check real time travel advice at the VicTraffic website and allow plenty of time to get to your destination.