2nd update: Pen Link's reduced speed limits to remain throughout the busy summer holiday period, unfortunately

Christmas Day, New Year's Day and every nice weather day at lunchtime until the end of Jan is going to be... fUn 😵‍💫 Worse in Feb and Mar!

Seriously, it's bad enough Victoria's best road (which didn't even need work or so we thought - clearly something significant's happened and only opened 12 years ago) needed this 'major re-construction', but to then also stuff-up the roadworks project and not get close to finishing by December? This organisation should be penalised by the government!

Service Stream (formerly Lendlease Services) who operate the PPP freeway on behalf of the Southern Way consortium have issued the following:

"Due to the unseasonally cold and wet weather encountered this spring (November was the wettest and coldest since 1992) trying to continue works this year would require prolonged closures.

To avoid extending disruptions into December and over the summer school holiday period, the project will pause and restart in February 2026.

Until crews return to finish the road, you may notice:

-Bumps near bridges. -Temporary line marking. -Rough road surface in some areas.

For this reason, the speed limit will stay at 80km/h until the final surface is laid.

We’re sorry for the extra travel time while the temporary 80km/h speed limit is in place. Reducing the speed from 100km/h to 80km/hr creates an increase in travel time of 2 minutes.

The speed limit will go back to 100km/h once each section is finished.

"Stage 4 & 5" will be the first section (resumed) once school is back in Feb 2026, southbound, between Bungower Rd and Moorooduc Hwy interchanges; freeway closure:

Work site is 8kms and delays are expected to increase travel time by 15-20mins. Full southbound carriageway closure. Local detours will be in place for all motorists at Bungower Rd. Please follow the official signed detour. Works will involve reinstatement of speed cameras, installing traffic loops, placement of final Open Graded Asphalt (quiet and spray resistant) surface and final line marking. Weather impacts in 2025 have deferred this element to February 2026.