Melbourne traffic chaos expected over holiday period

Authorities are warning of what could be the worst traffic congestion ever seen on the state’s roads over the holiday period.

It’s being described as Carmageddon, and while it’s some weeks away, VicRoads is trying to get the message out early.

From December 26, the West Gate will be down to two lanes outbound.

The Montague street entry ramp will be closed for two days, while the exit ramp will be down for about a fortnight.

The Tullamarine Freeway will be closed between the Calder Freeway and the Western Ring Road between January 5 and January 9.

It’s all in the name of upgrading the freeway and improving traffic flow.

And Nick McCallum has a blunt message for those who are complaining: suck it up.

‘We constantly complain about the gridlock on our roads,’ he said.

‘But when something is done, we squeal like stuck pigs. ‘How dare they inconvenience us?’

‘We just have to cop short-term pain for long-term gain.’

Click play for Nick’s editorial in full

VicRoads CEO John Merritt told Nick they chose to do the works now because it’s a quiet time of year, and the weather won’t interrupt works as much.

Mr Merritt said there’s never a good time to do major works, but this is the ‘least worst’ time to do it.

‘We design the projects to get the maximum amount done during the closure,’ he said.

He said drivers mostly dislike road disruptions when they can’t plan for them.

Click play to hear from John Merritt