The Victorian Government is looking into a radical $60 million plan to relieve traffic gridlock along Melbourne’s notorious Hoddle Street and Punt Road.

Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said VicRoads is examining ways to streamline traffic by using the “continuous flow” system, which involves creating right turn lanes on the far side of oncoming traffic.

It would allow cars to turn right at the same time as those going straight ahead and eliminate the need to stop the main flow of traffic for green and right arrows.

Mr Donnellan said VicRoads would run computerised models to test the system, which had been used successfully in the United States.

“It’s about providing more green time [for traffic lights] for people travelling north-south, and reducing the number of conflicting signals,” Mr Donnellan said.

“We’re looking at how to improve and streamline the flow along Hoddle St.

“It’s heavily utilised, I think there’s about 200,000 movements across Hoddle St each day and 130,000 people using it each day to get to one end to the other, so it’s a busy road.

“It is a method used in various states in the US, which has worked but it’s a matter of [investigating], run the trials, run the software programs to ensure it does work before we implement it.”

Mr Donnellan said if the system was introduced it would require a major overhaul of Hoddle street.

He said it was too early to speculate on whether properties would have to be acquired to make way for the project.

“It’s used by so many people every day that it really does need some relief,” he said.

“That’s really where the end of the Eastern Freeway is, that’s where the pinch point is, because 70 per cent of people coming off the Eastern Freeway are heading into the city each day.”

Mr Donnellan said he hoped the study would be completed later in the year.