Major Eastern Freeway Shutdown and Rail Disruptions: 60-Minute Delays Expected This Saturday

Significant Disruptions on the Eastern Freeway

Commuters and weekend travelers are advised to brace for major delays as a critical section of the Eastern Freeway remains closed this Saturday, 28 March 2026. The freeway is shut in both directions between Bulleen Road and Doncaster Road as part of the North East Link Project. This closure began late Friday night and will continue until 5:00 am on Monday morning. Authorities are warning of delays reaching up to 60 minutes during peak travel times today.

Crews are utilizing massive 800-tonne cranes to install a 100-metre-long "mega structure" consisting of 12 steel beams. To facilitate these works and manage traffic flow, several key entry ramps have been closed, including the outbound ramp at Chandler Highway and citybound ramps at Springvale, Blackburn, Middleborough, and Elgar Roads. Recommended detours include using Manningham Road, Williamsons Road, and Burke Road. Motorists are permitted to use bus lanes on Manningham Road today to help alleviate congestion.

Rail Replacements and Station Upgrades

Public transport users will also face significant changes to their journeys this Saturday. Buses are replacing trains on sections of the Belgrave and Lilydale lines. Passengers heading toward the city or Marvel Stadium should allow for at least 40 minutes of extra travel time. Additionally, ongoing escalator upgrades at Southern Cross Station (Collins Street end) may cause congestion on platforms 9 through 14.

For those attending the AFL Round 3 matches at Marvel Stadium today—featuring St Kilda vs. Brisbane and Essendon vs. North Melbourne—extra services will be running, but significant foot traffic is expected around Docklands and the Bourke Street pedestrian bridge. Consider walking from Flinders Street Station as an alternative to avoid the bottleneck at Southern Cross.

CityLink and Overnight Tunnels Alerts

While daytime travel on CityLink remains largely open, a major closure is scheduled for late Saturday night. The Domain Tunnel will be closed in the outbound direction starting from 10:30 pm tonight to prepare for the 'Run for the Kids' event taking place on Sunday. Motorists traveling toward the southeast late tonight will be diverted onto local roads.

Summary of Key Alerts for Saturday, 28 March:

• Eastern Freeway: Full closure between Bulleen Rd and Doncaster Rd; expect 60-minute delays.
• Belgrave & Lilydale Lines: Planned bus replacements in effect all day.
• Docklands: High congestion due to double-header AFL matches at Marvel Stadium.
• Bulleen: Localized traffic around the Park and Ride due to the "Mega Lift BBQ" community event (11 am – 2 pm).
• CityLink: Domain Tunnel outbound closure begins at 10:30 pm.