Regional roads investment plan

A$98-million

investment into planning and preconstruction for Western Highway bypasses of Ararat and Beaufort is part of a State Government plan to develop and fix hundreds of regional roads.

The government commitment, part of a $941-million roads 2018-19 budget allocation, also includes establishing a new Vicroads division – Regional Roads Victoria – in Ballarat. Regional Roads Victoria will oversee a $333-million boost to road maintenance, with a project to repair, resurface or rebuild more than 100 kilometres of roads across the state.

The government has also declared its intention to establish a $100-million Fixing Country Roads fund to provide grant money to rural and regional councils for their roads programs.

It has also announced plans to spend $229-million on more rumble strips, overtaking lanes and intersection upgrades on high-risk roads through a Towards Zero Road Safety Action Plan.

The investment also includes a $40-million upgrade to the Princes Highway between Colac and the South Australian border.

The government will also allocate money for improvements to sections of the Calder Highway, Hamilton Highway and Kiewa Valley Highway and intersections in Ballarat.

Premier Daniel Andrews described the announcement as a ground-breaking investment that would for the first time give ‘our regional road network the direct attention it deserves’.

“As someone who grew up in country Victoria, I know how important safe and reliable roads are for regional communities,” he said.