The project will see traffic lights installed at the intersection, along with dedicated turning lanes, signalised pedestrian crossings on all four legs, pedestrian refuges on Deakin Avenue, shared paths and upgraded lighting.
Transport Victoria officially refers to the intersection as Sturt Highway (Deakin Avenue) and Sixteenth Street, with the project jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments under the Road Safety Program.
The construction job is expected to get underway from the middle of September and continue through until April 2027.
The service road is changing too
One change motorists will probably notice is what happens to the Deakin Avenue service road.
As part of the new intersection layout, access from the service road directly onto Sixteenth Street will be closed.
Instead, vehicles using the service road will access the Sturt Highway through a new entry point near Hoyts Avenue.
There will also be changes to bus stops around the intersection and new shared-path connections for pedestrians and cyclists.
Expect some disruption
With traffic lights, road reconstruction, tree removal, new paths and changes to the road layout all part of the job, the work won't happen overnight.
Transport Victoria says construction will be completed in stages, with lane closures and reduced speeds at different times.
Sections of the intersection will also need to be closed during construction, with detours put in place.
Exactly when those closures will happen hasn't been announced yet, with Transport Victoria saying further traffic information will be released once the timing is confirmed.
It's been a long time coming
The intersection has been the subject of safety concerns for years.
Mildura planning documents were identifying the need to investigate traffic lights at Sixteenth Street and Deakin Avenue more than a decade ago, while Mildura Rural City Council says it has been actively pushing for safety improvements at the intersection since at least 2020.
The issue gathered even more attention following a series of crashes.
Speaking in Victorian Parliament in March 2024, Member for Mildura Jade Benham cited state crash figures showing two fatalities at the intersection since 2009 and more than a dozen reported crashes between 2012 and February 2024.
Funding for the traffic lights was eventually announced in February 2025, and the construction contract went to tender in May this year.
Now, more than a decade after traffic lights were first being discussed for the intersection, the project is finally moving into its main construction phase.
And if you regularly travel through Deakin Avenue and Sixteenth Street, you might want to allow a bit of extra time over the coming months.