More than $9 million worth of major repairs have been completed on Western Freeway, with 50,000 m2 of asphalting between Hopetoun Park and Leigh Creek, and Gordon and Myrniong now finished.
The Victorian government say they’re ensuring one of the state’s busiest freight and travel corridors can continue to support western Victoria’s rapidly-growing population and the region’s agriculture and freight sector.
These repairs mean smoother journeys for the more than 27,000 drivers who use the corridor every day, which serves as a vital link between western Victoria’s growing communities.
Western Freeway roadworks complete
- More than $9 million worth of major repairs have been completed on Western Freeway
- More work is on the way for the Western Highway
- Part of an unprecedented $6.6 billion investment in road maintenance over 10 years
- More Western Freeway work still yet to come
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
More work is on the way for the Western Highway, with crews on the ground starting on a series of major repairs between Ballarat and Beaufort.
Crews are on-site at multiple locations along an 8.3km section of the highway between Avenue Road, Burrumbeet and Black Bottom Road east of Trawalla, with reduced speeds and traffic management in place for the safety of roadworkers and the whole community.
The Western Highway is a significant freight route for farmers and manufacturers from Horsham, Ballarat, Bacchus Marsh and Melton to get their goods to market, supporting the movement of tens of thousands of trucks and other heavy vehicles each day.
This is only realistically the beginning though. The Western Freeway work between Melton and Caroline Springs – yet to be undertaken – has been a point of contention in recent months, as the state government battles spiralling labour costs across the entire Big Build project.
Right across Victoria, crews are continuing to rebuild and repair arterial roads thanks to an unprecedented $6.6 billion investment in road maintenance over 10 years. This includes $964 million invested as part of the Victorian Budget 2024-25, in addition to the billions of dollars being spent on the Metro Tunnel, Suburban Rail Loop and associated level-crossing removal works across the state.
“More than 27,000 drivers rely on the Western Highway each and every day – that’s why we’re delivering the works needed to maintain it now and into the future,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said.
The Western Highway is one of our state’s busiest freight and travel routes and these works mean getting produce to market faster, a smoother ride for workers and for families,” Member for Eureka Michaela Settle added.
“I’m hearing from locals every day how important these works are, and I’m glad that work is underway between Ballarat and Beaufort,” Member for Ripon Martha Haylett concluded.
Find out more about the Western Freeway upgrades here.
