Duplication of Sunbury Road

State electorate: Sunbury
Federal electorate: Hawke 

The Hume community needs duplication of Sunbury Road between Bulla–Diggers Rest Road and Melbourne Airport, to improve safety, reduce congestion and future‑proof this key regional route.

Why is it important to the community?

Sunbury Road is a vital link between Sunbury, Melbourne Airport, key employment precincts and the broader Melbourne road network.

It matters to the community because:

• Thousands of residents rely on the corridor daily for commuting, education, health appointments and airport access.

• Rapid population growth in Sunbury and surrounding areas continues to push the corridor past its limits.

• The road’s outdated design contributes to severe delays that affect productivity, family time and community resilience.

• Duplication will improve safety, reduce travel times and support the long‑term economic development of the northern corridor.

• Traffic incidents on Sunbury Road frequently cause extended delays, with limited alternative routes available to absorb displaced traffic.

• Ongoing congestion reduces the reliability of travel for emergency services, freight operators and essential workers who depend on predictable access.

• Without timely duplication, continued population and employment growth will place increasing pressure on the corridor, worsening safety risks and daily travel delays.

What is the current status?

Sunbury Road continues to operate as an undivided rural single‑lane corridor, despite carrying major commuter and freight traffic.

Key issues include:

• The road carries around 27,000 vehicles daily, far exceeding the safe capacity of a single‑lane rural arterial.

• The Victorian Government has duplicated Sunbury Road from Bulla-Diggers Rest Road to Sunbury, but the section between Bulla and Melbourne Airport will remain single‑lane, creating a new and serious bottleneck.

• Frequent congestion, risky overtaking, and limited visibility contribute to ongoing safety incidents.

• Emergency access is compromised during crashes or bushfire emergencies, leaving communities isolated.

• Freight traffic and airport related movements continue to increase, placing additional strain on a road never designed for this level of demand.

• Limited overtaking opportunities contribute to driver frustration and unsafe manoeuvres during peak periods.

• Without duplication, congestion and safety risks will worsen as population growth and development continue across Melbourne’s north.

Our community says

Tina (resident)

“Sunbury Road is so unpredictable. You can be cruising one minute and at a dead stop the next. Peak hour is basically a car park.”

Angelo (Airport employee)

“I work early shifts, but even then I get stuck on the Bulla stretch. One minor crash and everything locks up all the way to the airport turn‑off.”

Kerry (Commuter)

“With all the new estates around Sunbury, that road is overflowing. Some mornings it takes 25 minutes just to get from Diggers Rest Road to the airport intersection.”