Construction crews are taking advantage of reduced traffic during school holidays to begin roadworks on Sturt Street around Ballarat High School.
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More than 19,000 vehicles a day travel along Sturt St, creating bottle-necks particularly during school drop-off and pick-up times.
The first stage of upgrades began at Vale Street, Longley Street and around Ballarat High School last week and are expected to take six weeks.
At Vale St the median will be closed so drivers can only turn left in to Vale St and left out on to Sturt St, improving safety and traffic flow.
At Ballarat High School, the right turning lane from Sturt St into the service road outside the school will be extended to reduce congestion during pick-up and drop-off times. The road surface will also be improved at the entrance and exit to the school, while footpaths around the school will also be improved.
Right turns will be blocked at the Longley St intersection to reduce the risk of crashes.
Later in the year works will begin around Clarendon College and Wanliss Rd, followed by the Arch of Victory roundabout, access to a number of service roads and the meeting point of Russell and Morrison streets.
The works are part of a $4.8 million project to make travel safer and easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists in the city's west.
"As Ballarat's west continues to expand, we're ensuring that the city's road network is equipped to cater for a growing population," said Regional Roads Victoria regional director Mal Kersting.
"We're making sure that Ballarat's drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can travel safely and efficiently to school, work and other activities - and return home safely at the end of the day."
Construction will be carried out from 7am to 6pm during school holidays, and from 9.30am to 2.30pm when school returns.
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