The road closures set to cause chaos around Australia this Christmas

12/19/2024 02:00 PM

While the 2024–25 summer holidays are set to be a peak period for holidaymakers, they’re also unfortunately a prime time for roadworks and road closures.

RELATED: The worst airports to get to this Christmas

With a decrease in peak-hour commuter traffic, most state governments time their major projects to coincide with the December-January holiday period to minimise disruptions.

There are major infrastructure projects underway in Victoria, large-scale New Year’s Eve plans in place in Sydney, and big works affecting areas of Brisbane too.

So if you’re holidaying by car this Christmas and New Year, here’s a state-by-state breakdown of the major planned works that might disrupt your journey.

Victoria road closures

Victoria will be rife with road closures this holiday season, with major routes like the M80, Great Ocean Road, West Gate Bridge and M1 all set to experience disruptions.

“It's going to be another huge summer for transport across the state, and we appreciate your patience as we get it done. From roads to rail, we’re investing an unprecedented $100 billion to build a better transport system for the future,” Minister for Transport Infrastructure Danny Pearson said.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne added “Whether you're headed east or west, to the coast or the High Country, take your time this summer and plan your journey in advance”.

Annual maintenance works will take place on the West Gate Bridge from 9pm on Thursday, December 26, to 6am on Saturday, January 4, with delays of up to 30 minutes expected for those heading into the city, due to three citybound lanes being closed.

Additionally, the West Gate Freeway will undergo surfacing work from January 6 to March 8, 2025, between Millers Road and the West Gate Bridge, with ramp and lane closures in the area.

Ongoing work on the M80 Ring Road, as well as the level crossing removal project, will see buses replace trains on several major lines, including the Sunbury, Bendigo and Hurstbridge lines, so refer to the Metro Trains site to see the latest updates.

Finally, the M1 Freeway will experience multiple lane and ramp closures as part of the West Gate Tunnel project and related works, with live updates posted here.

Those travelling to Melbourne Airport should also expect delays of up to an hour as a result of construction on a new entry ramp.

A full list of road closures and delays affecting Victoria over the coming months can be found here.

New South Wales road closures

Sydney’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza will see the closure of major roads in North Sydney, Milsons Point and Kirribilli, starting from 2pm on Monday, December 30. Most roads will have reopened by 4am on New Year’s Day.

Importantly, the NYE fireworks will mean the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be “completely closed in both directions” from 11pm on New Year’s Eve. To see a full list of NYE road closures in Sydney, head to this link.

Work to widen Mulgoa Road in Penrith has hit a crucial point, meaning all access to and from Mulgoa Road from the M4 will be closed between January 2 and 24, 2025.

Each year, the NSW Government identifies general holiday ‘pinch points‘ across the state’s road network where high traffic volumes result in delays, and these locations include the Princes Highway, Hume Highway, Great Western Highway, and Kings Highway.

Queensland road closures

Ongoing construction works are set to bring delays and reduced speed limits across parts of Brisbane over the festive period, although a shutdown for many projects will come into effect from today until January 6.

The M1 Pacific Motorway from Burleigh Heads to Tugun and from Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill will be affected by this, as will the exit 49 interchange.

The Bruce Highway too will be impacted at Bli Bli Road Interchange, and at Burpengary East, including the Uhlmann Road overpass, near the Morayfield service centres.

"We know Queensland's main highways will be busy with thousands of extra cars on the road increasing the risk of incidents,” Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said.

"Drivers should avoid rushing, ensure their vehicles have been serviced in advance, check the weather forecasts and pack their patience if they run into traffic delays – we want everyone to get to their destination safely.

"With road conditions and traffic impacts subject to change all the time, the best advice is for motorists to check the QLD Traffic website for up-to-date information before they hit the road."

Western Australia road closures

“Fires, floods, cyclones and extreme weather can lead to roads being closed or restricted at short notice, for safety reasons,” a spokesperson for Main Roads Western Australia told Drive.

“While these hazards can be inconvenient, they are also extremely dangerous. Road users are reminded that closed means closed and you should not attempt to travel through restricted areas.”

Drivers in WA can check for up-to-date road closure information on this live map.

However, some current planned works through until January 26, 2025, include:

Perth Metropolitan:

• Mitchell Freeway southbound will be closed between Karrinyup Road and Hutton Street from 7pm Saturday, January 4 to 4am Monday, January 6, 2025.
• Mandurah Road, west of Mandurah Estuary Bridge, will be a road reduced to one westbound lane only on January 9, 2025.

Pilbara:

• Great Northern Highway
  • Pinga Street intersection – upgrade work continuing, expect delays.
  • Newman to Port Hedland – construction of overtaking lanes continuing, expect delays.
• Marble Bar Road – sealing underway, expect delays.

Mid West – Gascoyne:

• Indian Ocean Drive – Closed between Coolimba Eneabba Road and Brand Highway. Detour in place that will add approximately 20 minutes to the average journey.
• North West Coastal Highway
  • Oakajee – upgrade works approximately 20km north of Geraldton, expect delays.
  • Buller River Bridge – approximately 25km north of Geraldton, side track in place, expect delays.
• Midlands Road – Mingenew to Dongara – roadworks continuing, expect delays.

Wheatbelt:

• Great Eastern Highway – upgrades between Carrabin and Bodallin, Noongar and Moorine Rock and Moorine Rock and Southern Cross, expect delays.

South West:

• Bussell Highway Duplication – roadworks continuing, expect delays.

ACT road closures

“During the holiday period, two sets of night roadworks and one set of day work is planned for three major roads in Canberra in January 2025,” an ACT Government spokesperson told Drive.

“Dates are subject to change if there are impacts such as wet weather.”

These works include:

• Night work: From January 5–8, 2025, a southbound section of the Tuggeranong Parkway at Molonglo Valley will be closed for road resurfacing work. Detours will be in place for southbound motorists between Cotter Road and Hindmarsh Drive.
• Night work: From January 12–15, 2025, a section of the Barton Highway will be closed at Nicholls for asphalt patching work for city-bound traffic only.

There will also be day road resurfacing works on the Glenloch Interchange and William Hovell Drive, with lane closures expected from January 8–9, 2025.

Some events are planned also that will affect motorists with temporary road closures. These include New Year’s Eve in the City and SummerNats.

More information on all planned road and path closures can be found here.

South Australia road closures

“All current and future planned road closures and/or traffic restrictions are logged on traffic.sa.gov.au,” a spokesperson for the South Australia Department for Infrastructure and Transport told Drive.

“That platform is updated in real time to include any incidents that may occur also. We encourage holidaymakers to check it before embarking on any travel over the holiday period.

“The Outback Road Warnings page on our website is also regularly updated for people travelling in more isolated areas.”

Tasmania road closures

While roadworks across Tasmania will be mostly paused between Friday, December 20 and Monday, January 6, there will still be reduced speed limits and traffic management changes in place for safety reasons.

Major affected roads include the Huon Link Road (Huon Highway to Flood Road), Zeehan Highway (Murchison Highway to Henty Main Road) and West Tamar Highway (from Legana to Launceston).

Additionally, a Tasmanian Department of State Growth spokesperson told Drive, “Road users should also allow extra time when travelling through the New Bridgewater Bridge project site on the Midland, Lyell and Brooker highways. 

“This site will shut down from Friday, 20 December 2024, until Monday, 6 January 2025, which should reduce congestion during that period.”

Flood damage has also seen closures on several major routes, including Norfolk Road in north-west Tasmania, while the Lyell Highway at Plenty north of New Norfolk is down to one lane only.

Finally, major resurfacing works will result in 15-minute delays across multiple sites, with motorists urged to check this interactive map for live updates on affected routes.

Northern Territory road closures

“There are no major road closures planned for the Northern Territory due to construction works,” a Department of Logistics and Infrastructure NT spokesperson told Drive.

“Road conditions can change quickly in the Territory. With the wet season setting in, road users are advised to check road conditions before travelling via roadreport.nt.gov.au.”

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