Catherine King

Federal Member for Ballarat

Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing

Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport

Western Highway upgrade pushes on from Ballarat

Friday, 16 April 2010

The first step was taken today towards a safer, improved and fully divided Western Highway route between Ballarat and Stawell, with major construction underway on an initial stage of the $505 million upgrade near Ballarat.

Premier John Brumby was joined by Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas and Federal Member for Ballarat Catherine King today to mark the start of works where the Western Freeway narrows to a two-lane highway from the Sunraysia Highway interchange, just west of Ballarat.

“The Victorian Government, in partnership with the Federal Government, is working to build a better transport system, providing improved and safer roads to better-connect communities in regional Victoria,” Mr Brumby said.

“These initial works will extend the divided highway for eight kilometres through to Burrumbeet, with future sections to be progressively completed and opened for the 110 kilometres to Stawell.

“The Western Highway duplication will provide safer and more reliable travel for local people, tourists and other highway users, while delivering more efficient national transport links between Melbourne and Adelaide.

“It will improve road freight efficiency and help reduce travel times and costs for goods and rural produce shipped to and through regional Victoria and beyond.

“Importantly, this first stage of works is creating more than 130 direct jobs, while the full duplication will support thousands of jobs over the life of the project.”

Ms King welcomed the start of works, which include construction of new Ballarat-bound lanes east of Burrumbeet, with the existing highway converted to carry west-bound traffic.

“The highway upgrade also includes a new bridge to carry Ballarat-bound traffic lanes across Burrumbeet Creek,” Ms King said.

“It’s great to see works underway now that will support jobs today and for the future, and will assist economic growth, tourism and regional development.

“This project will build on the benefits of other Western Highway improvements jointly funded by the Federal Government, including the recently completed Deer Park Bypass and the Anthony’s Cutting realignment, which started in February.

“These works will transform road transport in this region and will make Ballarat a Western Victorian transport hub.”

Mr Pallas said BMD Constructions was delivering the Western Highway duplication between Ballarat and Burrumbeet, with current works expected to be completed in 2012.

“This is a wonderful project that will deliver better transport systems for the region The Burrumbeet section will take about two years to complete, while planning for remaining sections moves forward in that time,” Mr Pallas said.

“Works are being managed to minimise impacts on highway drivers and local landowners, while an Environmental Management Plan will also help protect flora and fauna around work zones, with native planting and landscaping undertaken to enhance roadsides.”

To date $505 million has been committed for future works on the project identified in the Brumby Labor Government’s Victorian Transport Plan and the Rudd Labor Government’s Nation Building Program.

For more information on the Western Highway duplication project or to register to receive updates, call VicRoads on 1300 779 642 or via email on whp@roads.vic.gov.au.