The combined Bulla Road/Bell Street exit on Melbourne's Tullamarine Freeway is poorly designed, heavily congested (the majority of the time) and extremely dangerous, presenting serious road safety concerns, with traffic often backing up on to the Freeway impeding the flow of traffic.

Motorists entering the freeway from Essendon Fields are forced to merge into already congested freeway traffic, while vehicles travelling towards the Bulla Road/Bell Street Exit are attempting to change lanes and exit within a very short distance.

This creates a dangerous combination of merging, weaving, sudden braking and traffic queues that extend back onto the freeway.

The current arrangement has not resolved the original traffic problems. In my experience, it has made them significantly worse, placing motorists at unnecessary risk. 

Why I’m Reviving This Petition in 2026

I originally launched this petition in November 2018 because I was deeply concerned about the safety and design of the combined Bulla Road and Bell Street exit on the Tullamarine Freeway.

The campaign gained support, and I began pursuing the matter with the relevant authorities.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck Melbourne in 2020, I put the campaign on hold. With lockdowns, curfews and restrictions on travel, traffic conditions changed dramatically, and understandably, our priorities shifted.

The campaign was paused, but the problem was never resolved.

Now, in 2026, I am reviving this petition because the same dangerous conditions continue to affect motorists.

The congestion, the bottleneck created by combining the Bulla Road and Bell Street exits, and the additional complications of traffic entering from Essendon Fields remain serious concerns.

Almost eight years after I first raised the alarm, I believe it is time for the Victorian Government and responsible road authorities to revisit this design and take meaningful action.

We should not have to wait for a serious accident before something is done.

This is an accident waiting to happen, with the potential to cause a disastrous multi-car traffic collision as the Tullamarine Freeway is a high-speed route.

There is now only one lane off the Freeway for both exits. The lane itself is not a true exit lane. It does not flow and causes cars to dangerously back up on the Tullamarine Freeway.

It is nonsensical, the Bulla Road exit has always been congested, why would one then go and add more traffic to it by merging it with another busy exit, the Bell Street Exit?

This dangerous situation which is a potential disaster must be addressed as a matter of priority. Potential solutions could include widening the existing exit lane, redesigning the merging arrangements, or reinstating separate exits for Bulla Road and Bell Street, as was previously the case.

I am calling on the Victorian Government, the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, Transport Victoria, VicRoads and Linkt (Transurban), together with relevant local MPs and councils to:

• Commission an urgent, independent road safety and traffic engineering assessment of the Bulla Road/Bell Street Exit and the nearby Essendon Fields southbound freeway entry.
• Investigate practical engineering solutions, including restoring separate exits or redesigning the existing interchange to improve traffic flow and safety.
• Publicly communicate the findings, proposed actions and a realistic timeframe for implementing necessary imrprovements.

We should not have to wait for a serious collision, injuries or loss of life before action is taken.

I urge the responsible authorities to listen to the motorists and local communities who use this road regularly and take proactive steps to address these long-standing safety concerns.

Road safety should never be an afterthought. Please sign and share this petition to help make our roads safer for everyone!