Bristol Road and Surf Coast Highway traffic lights

Bristol Road intersection and church.jpg

Update May 2026

Works resumed on Monday 25 May to complete the installation of traffic lights at Bristol Road and Surf Coast Highway intersection.

Thank you for your patience as we worked through permit issues that delayed the initial restart date in April.  

The works include:

  • Installation of footings and traffic signals
  • Laying of conduits and cables for the traffic lights.
  • Asphalting the south-bound lanes of Surf Coast Highway and Bristol Road.
  • Installation of public lighting around the upgraded intersection.

We expect the works to be completed and traffic lights commissioned by the end of the year.

Traffic impacts from 25 May for approx. three weeks:

  • Bristol Road will be closed at Surf Coast Highway.
  • The road closure will start around 75 Bristol Road and access will be available to all houses, either behind the road closure or in the remaining part of Bristol Road from the eastern end of Bristol Road only.
  • When Bristol Road is closed at Surf Coast Highway, all traffic, including buses and large delivery vehicles will detour along Boston Road and Payne Street.
  • No standing signs will be installed on the south side of Boston Road during the road closure works to allow for large vehicles and buses to use Boston Road.
  • South-bound access on Surf Coast Highway will remain open, with one lane closed.
  • North-bound (Geelong-bound) lanes of highway will be open as normal.
  • Access to the petrol station will be maintained.
  • Four bus stops will be temporarily closed.

Please see the map below for the closure and detours. 

Traffic impacts from mid-late 2026

Once Bristol Road reopens, works will continue until late 2026 with traffic management in place, which may include single lane closures on Bristol Road and Surf Coast Highway.

Please follow traffic management direction and expect small delays.

Thanks for your patience as we continue to complete this important intersection upgrade.  

Bristol Road works map.jpg

Update March 2026

Works to complete the installation of traffic lights will now start after the busy Easter holiday period and be completed by late-2026.

Some projects don’t go exactly as planned and this has been one of them. We’re sorry this project has taken longer than anyone wanted. We understand this is frustrating and we appreciate the community’s patience.

Further design changes were needed so works can safely continue around underground infrastructure identified after construction started.

Once complete, the project will improve safety and access in a big way. It will mean:

  • People will be able to safely cross here with signalised crossings.
  • Drivers can turn right from Bristol Road onto the highway.

Outline of works

To improve safety and traffic flow, we are upgrading the intersection of Bristol Road and Surf Coast Highway in Torquay, which will include the installation of traffic lights.

As part of the intersection upgrade:

  • Traffic will be able to turn right, as well as left, from Bristol Road onto Surf Coast Highway (currently only buses can turn right here).
  • There will be new signalled pedestrian crossings on both Bristol Road and the highway, making it much safer for people to cross.
  • Traffic from the intersection will be able to enter the service road (near St Therese Church), however service road traffic will need to use the Zeally Bay Road intersection to enter the highway.
  • A new footpath will be constructed on the western side of the highway, from the pedestrian crossing to the northern boundary of the church site.

The tender was awarded at the April council meeting. Works commenced mid 2024.

Community engagement on the traffic lights and intersection upgrade was undertaken in 2021 and changes were made in response to feedback, such as the addition of one-way access from the intersection to the service road.

This project, which will help cater for recent and future growth, is a part of the Torquay Jan Juc Development Contribution Plan, a long-term plan which developers are required to contribute to.

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Previous updates

Traffic light installation works to restart in 2026

Updated 24 November 2025

Works to install traffic lights at the Surf Coast Highway and Bristol Road intersection in Torquay will restart in mid 2026, following significant service-related delays.

The project was paused earlier this year after underground services were discovered on-site and required relocation and specialised equipment to complete this work.

The discovery of unexpected underground services meant we had to pause construction. We’re pleased NBN has now confirmed their works will be completed by the end of November, meaning we can now plan the remaining works.

Once the NBN work is finished, Council’s contractor can complete the new left-turn lane into Bristol Road and install the traffic lights and public lighting.

The construction program will take around two months, with Bristol Road needing to close for a short portion of this period. Due to the high traffic over the Christmas and summer period, works cannot occur during the peak season and will instead begin in mid 2026.

The electrical tie-in works to charge the system will be done by Powercor separately following this.

We apologise for the unexpected delays and thank the community for their patience as we work to deliver a safe, more efficient intersection.

Unexpected interuptions

Updated March 2025

While preparing for the installation of the traffic lights, underground services were found that need to be moved.

The traffic lights had to be redesigned and we had to organise for the underground assets to be moved. We cannot move another agencies assets for them.

We expect these works to be completed by the end of the year, without any more unexpected interruptions and apologise for the delay.

 

 

Location

Bristol Road, Torquay 3228  View Map

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