Drivers in Dandenong can look forward to a faster and safer trip on the Monash Freeway, with the Andrews Labor Government set to fast track early works on a massive new $711 million upgrade.

Member for Dandenong, Gabrielle Williams, has announced that the first package of works on the Monash Freeway Upgrade Stage 2 will be brought forward, funded from the $111 million saved from Stage 1 of the project.

Smart on-road technology will be installed from the South Gippsland Freeway to the Beaconsfield Interchange, giving drivers live traffic information and managing lanes to get people where they need to go faster and safer.

The Labor Government has also submitted the full business case for Monash Stage 2 to Infrastructure Australia for the Commonwealth’s final approval.

Stage two of the Monash Freeway Upgrade will add 36 kilometres of new lanes, slashing congestion and improving travel times for more drivers in Melbourne’s south east.

The second stage of the upgrade will expand the Monash from eight to ten lanes between Warrigal Road and EastLink to the west, and from four to six lanes between Clyde Road and Cardinia Road to the east, slashing nine minutes off a peak hour trip between Pakenham and the City.

There’ll also be better connections at Beaconsfield and links to a new, duplicated O’Shea Road.

The business case for the $711 million project shows a cost-benefit-ratio of 4.6 to 1, with the project set to create 600 jobs in construction. The business case will be release publicly as soon as approved by the Commonwealth.

The first stage of the Monash Freeway Upgrade, fully funded by the Labor Government, is currently under construction and will be completed later this year.

Construction on the new fast-tracked package of Stage 2 works will begin in late 2018, while construction on new lanes will start in 2019 after a tender process, and the new lanes will be open in 2022.