English Street exit, the final major part of the A$1.3bn ($950m) CityLink Tulla widening project in Australia, is scheduled to open to traffic this week.

The CityLink Tulla widening project in Essendon, Melbourne, has been completed with five million work hours, more than 230,000t of asphalt, and 52km of new line marking.

The refurbished outbound Bulla Road and English Street exit includes a separated road through to English Street and Matthews Avenue.

Once the final section of the new lane is opened to traffic next month, travel times to Melbourne Airport will improve.

“The CityLink Tulla Widening is boosting capacity by 30%, which is easing congestion and improving travel times.”

The final section is being developed by Victoria’s Major Road Projects Authority.

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher said: “The CityLink Tulla Widening is boosting capacity by 30%, which is easing congestion and improving travel times. So far, drivers are saving an average 13.5 minutes on an average 8am weekday trip inbound from Melbourne Airport to Bolte Bridge.”

Victoria Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said that drivers who want to get off the freeway at English Street will need to follow the signs to a new, earlier exit when the interchange opens.

Donnellan said: “We know that these changes will take some getting used to, so we’re asking drivers to be aware of the earlier exits, follow the new signage and take extra care when these interchanges open.”

Earlier exits and separated roads were opened at Bulla Road and Bell Street, in addition to Mickleham Road and M80 Ring Road, where they have helped to lower unsafe queuing onto the Tullamarine Freeway.

The project has been jointly funded by the Federal and Victorian governments and Transurban, the operator of CityLink.