The first stage of an ambitious plan from the City of Ballarat to provide a bypass in the city’s west is almost finished.
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The Ballarat Link Road between the Western Freeway and Remembrance Drive is on track to be completed in April, with works on the large rail bridge and level crossing completed in early February.
The existing Ring Road will ultimately close once the Link Road first stage work is complete.
Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh said the initial impetus for creating the Link Road was to create a new airport entry, allowing extension of the North-South runway, and provide better road, air and rail access to the west’s industrial zone.
“With all that big industry that’s committing in to the Ballarat West Employment Zone (BWEZ), they need to get access to this, we want to get all of the big trucks out of the middle of town,” she said.
Cr McIntosh said the project would provide better connections with Wendouree station, so those commuting to Melbourne for work wouldn’t rely only on the commuter station in the central business district.
Gregory Street West will also be connected to the Link Road, with plans to reopen Gregory Street West to traffic requiring funding in stage two, an $80 million project.
Plans for stage two include the completion a bypass all the way to the Glenelg Highway at Delacombe, with a bypass to link the Glenelg Highway to the Midland Highway south of Buninyong also proposed.
City of Ballarat will need $40 million to complete the second stage of the project between Remembrance Drive and the Glenelg Highway, including $6 million for land acquisition on the route.
Another $40 million is required for duplication of stage one, in order to increase its transport capacity.
City of Ballarat director of infrastructure Terry Demeo said that the bypass will be “infinitely attractive” to the growth corridor in the city’s west, including residents of Lucas and Cardigan.
“With no level crossings, not having to compete with the train, you’ll be over the bridge and you can drop onto the freeway or go down Gregory Street on to Wendouree Station,” he said.
City of Ballarat have said there will be measurable benefits to building the road all the way to the Glenelg Highway, including a 10 per cent reduction in travel times at Ballarat West.
READ MORE: Ballarat Link Road needs $40 million
Council wants the funding for the next stage approved by May this year.
It would be followed by detailed design and early works to be finished 2018 and 2019, with construction to start on the project by 2020.
Council hopes to finish the entire Ballarat Link Road, constructed by firm Winslow Australia, to the Glenelg Highway by 2021.
