Following a tragic day on Ballarat's roads, the focus has turned to what happens next to keep drivers safe.
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Road safety barriers have not yet been installed at the site of Tuesday morning's fatal crash, which could prevent drivers from colliding with the median pillars of the Gillies Street overpass.
While statistics reveal that there have been three separate crashes on the freeway between the Midland Highway and Learmonth Road in the five years to the end of 2018, people received serious injuries in each.
While they remain controversial to some, the wire rope barrier rollout on the Western Freeway has extended west to the Gordon overpass, with construction underway for the next section closer to Ballarat.
Regional Roads Victoria is working with Victoria Police to investigate Tuesday's crash to determine contributing factors and identify safety improvements.
The Safe System Road Infrastructure Program's acting director, Barry Green, said in a statement the incident would be investigated.
"(The) crash was a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim's families and friends, as well as those injured in the collision and the emergency services personnel who responded to the scene," he said.
"We're committed to improving road safety on the Western Freeway and through our investigation we will determine whether further improvements are needed on this section of road."
The Transport Accident Commission is funding the Towards Zero Action Plan's rollout of the barriers, part of a $1.4 billion investment in safety infrastructure across the state that also includes Armco barriers, rumble strips on median lines, and redesigned roads.
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While centre-line median wire rope barriers were proposed for the Midland Highway between Creswick and Ballarat, they were later removed from plans.
The Midland Highway between Buninyong and Meredith has also been selected for safety upgrades, with community consultation under way.
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