Rehabilitation works have begun on a one-kilometre section of the Western Highway in Victoria, which forms part of the largest single year spend on road maintenance in the state’s history.
The rehabilitation works in Lawloit, between Kaniva and Nhill, will help to maintain an essential section of the highway for the transportation of thousands of tonnes of grain from farms to storage facilities at Nhill each year.
Crews will rebuild and strengthen the road over two months, which will help to support the long-term performance of the network, with larger and heavier trucks hitting Victorian roads.
The highway is also a major link between South Australia and western Victoria, enabling thousands of drivers and millions of tonnes to keep moving between Melbourne and Adelaide.
Additional works are aiming to increase the safety of the connection. In the 10 years to June 2024, there have been 174 crashes on the Western Highway, between Ballarat and Stawell, including 15 fatalities and 104 people seriously injured.
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About 8000 vehicles travel the Western Highway west of Beaufort each day, including 2400 trucks.
To date, 55 kilometres of highway has been duplicated between Ballarat and Buangor.
There’s also more works on the way for the State, with crews expected to complete thousands of individual projects to rebuild, repair and resurface roads between now and June.
Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora said the upgrade works will benefit motorists passing through as well as locals.
“Whether it’s getting grain to storage or simply driving to work, these major repairs on the Western Highway will make life easier for everyone in our community,” Ermacora said.