New overtaking lanes will be built on the Midland Highway between Bannockburn and Meredith, boosting safety for all road users.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney said the new lanes will provide drivers with a safer option to overtake other vehicles along the busy stretch.
Following community consultation, local residents called for overtaking lanes to be constructed at two sites between Bannockburn and Lethbridge, and two between Bannockburn and Meredith.
The lanes will be built Ballarat bound south of Scanlon Road and north of Lower Plains Road and south of the Meredith Golf Club.
Community feedback will be directly incorporated into the final designs which will soon be released to tenderers.
Residents also had concerns that B-Double trucks would not be able to exit from the driveways due to the installation of wire rope safety barriers in the centre median.
As a result, VicRoads has changed the design to widen the existing driveways to ensure that trucks can exit and re-enter the highway safely.
With a large number of heavy vehicles using Scanlons Road, VicRoads will also seal a three metre left turn shoulder and provide a three metre wide and 60 metre long right turn slip lane at this location.
There have been a number of crashes on the Midland Highway in recent years – a large percentage involving vehicles crossing the centreline and crashing into an oncoming vehicle, or rear ending other vehicles.
VicRoads will soon appoint a contractor to complete the works, with construction expected to begin in mid-2017.
For more information visit www.vicroads.vic.gov.au.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney
“These new overtaking lanes will allow drivers to safely overtake others at the right place, at the right time.”
“Those who use this road everyday know it best, which is why we asked locals to help shape the locations of the lanes.”
“This upgrade will reduce the risk of serious injuries and make this busy stretch of road much safer and more reliable for all road users.”