The state government will spend $150,000 investigating the possibility of establishing a new road linking the Midland Highway and the Western Freeway.
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The feasibility study which will take place over the next 12 months will explore the potential upgrade of Yankee Flat Road, which currently links the freeway and highway and connects Buninyong to Warrenheip.
An eastern link road has long been advocated for by the Buninyong community as a means of reducing traffic flowing through the centre of the town.
Buninyong MP Geoff Howard said an eastern connection would be prioritised as there were existing roads which could be developed quickly.
A western link road connecting with the Ballarat Link Road in the city’s west has been suggested as a future option, however this is likely to be decades off as stage two of the project is yet to be funded.
Mr Howard said he hoped to see work begin on the eastern link road in the next three years.
“Currently to the east there’s a couple of options where there are roads which could be looked at for a bypass at a relatively low cost,” Mr Howard said. “Clearly there will be a need for a western bypass but that’s a much higher cost and still many years away.”
The bulk of traffic from Geelong heading towards Ballarat and Melbourne travels through the intersection of the Midland Highway and Warrenheip Street in the heart of Buninyong.
The feasibility study will involve traffic monitoring as well as community consultation sessions with VicRoads.
Buninyong and District Community Association president Linda Zibell said traffic was the main issue for most residents at the Imagine Buninyong planning session in June.
“We’re really delighted with (the feasibility study), we've been on this for up to 12 or 15 years so it’s a really been a long term issue for us,” Ms Zibell said.
