FAQs

Jumping Creek Road is an important five-kilometre link within Manningham, between Ringwood-Warrandyte Road, Warrandyte and Homestead Road, Wonga Park. It connects the local communities of Warrandyte and Wonga Park and existing employment and retail precincts in Croydon, Chirnside Park and Lilydale. It serves as an important transport corridor between the municipalities of Manningham, Maroondah and Yarra Ranges.

The road is located within an environmentally significant landscape with valuable native vegetation and fauna and is also identified as being in a ‘high bushfire risk’ zone.

Jumping Creek Road is a significant local link road that experiences high traffic volumes, carrying more than 8,100 vehicles daily. Projections indicate that this volume will double to 15,000 vehicles daily by 2035.

Between 2012 and 2016, 17 vehicle crashes were reported along Jumping Creek Road. This included seven crashes causing serious injury requiring hospitalisation and one tragically causing fatality. Many of these crashes involved vehicles leaving the road and colliding with objects on the side of the road. These incidents, combined with the deteriorating condition of the road and the challenges faced by pedestrians and cyclists in terms of accessibility, underscore the urgent need for an upgrade.

The Jumping Creek Road upgrade will address these concerns and improve safety for all road users, including motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. The objective is to deliver safe, sustainable and functional infrastructure that is harmonious with the local landscape.

As well as improving the safety of this road, the project will provide increased vegetation for the area, a recreational trail for walkers and cyclists, wildlife protection measures, improved road usability and an upgrade to the township intersection and streetscape.

Community consultation helped to inform the Jumping Creek Road Development Framework.

In 2017, a community reference panel was formed to provide ongoing feedback on the design, development and construction of Jumping Creek Road.

The Reference Panel was involved in planning for the first stage of works, between Ringwood-Warrandyte Road and Nelson Drive, which is now complete.

We worked closely with the Jumping Creek Road Community Reference Panel in the development stages to help inform the concept plans.

The Concept plan was endorsed by Council in early 2022 following a period of extensive community consultation.

In January 2017, we established a Jumping Creek Road Community Reference Panel. It consists of residents, relevant local businesses and community group representatives.

The panel is an opportunity for us to provide updates, highlight issues, respond to queries and share ideas with the community, and receive feedback on proposals about the design and reconstruction of Jumping Creek Road.

The panel also considers issues previously raised by the community during the consultation process for the Jumping Creek Road Development Framework.

The purpose of the Development Framework is to consider options that will address the safety, environmental and functional issues identified for Jumping Creek Road. It provides guidance on vegetation impacts, rural amenities and road user needs.

The Framework contains assessments on traffic and speed counts, road classification detail, crash statistics, applicable environmental and planning requirements, general biodiversity, flora and fauna, native roadside vegetation assessments and proposed concept design plans.

The Jumping Creek Road Development Framework was endorsed by Council in 2016.

The concept design encompasses future improvements to Jumping Creek Road that will involve the following works:

• Upgrades to alignments to improve sightlines and visibility.
• Improved road gradient changes (i.e. reduced crests and dips).
• Installation of roundabouts to reduce speed along Jumping Creek Road.
• Installation of kerb and channel to replace open drains.
• Installation of safety barriers to improve road safety.
• Construction of a new recreational trail to facilitate sustainable transport options.
• Construction of several fauna road crossings.
• Improvements to access to private driveways.
• Removal of vegetation to accommodate the works where necessary and undertaking associated re-vegetation as required.

Design principles were developed in line with our Green Wedge Infrastructure Guidelines, which ensured we maintained the existing look and feel of the environment, provided wildlife protection and increased opportunities for revegetation.

The road design at key intersections, including at Hooper and Harley Roads and at the entrance to the township and Warrandyte State Park, were completed in line with best practice guidelines, ensuring the road remains safe whilst balancing the look and feel of the road. The location of safety barriers has been designed in line with design guidelines and risk assessments.

As with all road projects, there will be impacts to road users and local residents however we will aim to keep these to a minimum.

Information will be provided in regard to works and detours as the detailed design phase takes place and information becomes available.

Before works commence, we will consult with the emergency services on the proposed timings and construction methods, including any road closures.

Emergency services will have unrestricted access to all properties in construction areas.

A series of measures will ensure there are minimal impacts to the environment including the installation of virtual safety fencing, animal underpasses and aerial crossings.

The project involves the revegetation of the entire Jumping Creek Road corridor with a selection of native and Indigenous plants.

As part of the design process, an in depth environmental study has been undertaken to ensure that the road works do not impede on existing water catchments.

In the development of the design and the planning of the construction, we will work with Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council to develop a Cultural Heritage Management Plan for the project.