The roundabout at Haymarket is a disaster. Parkville is a world-leading biomedical precinct, with universities, hospitals and research institutions. What should be a well-connected hub of innovation is carved up by multiple tram tracks, lanes of traffic and confusing directions.
There have also been several serious crashes with cars, bikes and pedestrians in the last few years, including a fatal crash in 2025.
In 2019, the Department of Transport released a major report on the future of the Haymarket precinct. It recommended the immediate “commencement of a design-led masterplan process” to transform the intersection and surrounding boulevards. Seven years later, that transformation still hasn’t happened.
Instead, the same confusing and dangerous layout remains. The Haymarket roundabout on Flemington Rd is widely considered one of Melbourne’s worst intersections, posing serious safety risks for the tens of thousands of vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians who use it every day. Just to walk across the road as a pedestrian sometimes means you have to cross five different crossings!
There is already a sensible design on the table – backed by Yarra Trams, and all the biomedical institutes surrounding the intersection. It works for cars, pedestrians and bikes. For less than the cost of one level crossing removal we could totally redesign this space
All that’s needed now is the political will.
Sign the petition to tell the State Labor Government to finally fix Melbourne’s roundabout of death.
