Melbourne Airport’s new, free Pick Up and Drop Off zones will officially open in October, with construction nearing completion and live trials now underway.
The $500 million free Pick Up and Drop Off zones will separate private cars from commercial vehicles while more than doubling the capacity for hellos and goodbyes at the airport, ending the congested Arrivals and Departures Drive journey that passengers have used for more than 50 years.
The new road network will also make way for the $4.5 billion expansion of Melbourne Airport’s international terminal into the forecourt.
Built within the T123 multi-level car park, the T123 Transport Hub will become the single pick up and drop off point for all passengers travelling on Qantas, Virgin Australia and all international flights, with new, express ramps connecting the Tullamarine Freeway to the Transport Hub.
Live trials of the new Transport Hub are now underway with the airport conducting accessibility trials in partnership with Get Skilled Access and Traveller’s Aid to ensure all passengers are well supported.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the new Transport Hub was an essential piece of infrastructure to support the growing number of people using the airport.
“This project will mean fewer traffic jams and make more room for hellos and goodbyes, while also unlocking the ability for us to expand the international terminal into the forecourt,” she said.
“Our current road network simply doesn’t have capacity to cope with our forecast passenger growth, with traffic modelling showing that without this project, passengers would be waiting an additional 28 minutes in peak periods by 2029.
“The October opening is timed to avoid the busy school holiday and footy finals period and will give travellers a couple of months to adjust to the changes before the Christmas peak.
“We know this is a big change for our passengers, which is exactly why we’re running live trials now, well ahead of opening day, to make sure the hub and the road network feeding into it work exactly as they should before passengers start using them.
“The testing phase is about learning and adapting and our accessibility live trials provided us with invaluable insight from people with various lived experiences that will help us tailor our services for their needs.”
More information on the project is available at www.melbourneairport.com.au/pick-up-and-drop-off-hub