The recommendation, which is being put forward for councillors' consideration later this month, comes despite a petition with more than 200 signatures that was submitted to council in June.

In their report, council officers said that the council's Sealing of Gravel Road Policy, specifies that roads are only eligible for re-sealing when road use approaches 250 vehicles per day.

However, council officers have suggested the costs of reconstructing the road with full pavement and re-sealing be investigated, as well as the potential for state and federal funding.

The report says the design would inform immediate construction works to address the crest at the northern end of the road, widen the pavement, and define the location of the culvert at the railway end.

Officers also recommended that monitoring continue on traffic levels, maintenance costs and driving risks.

The first third of the road leading north from Remembrance Drive to the railway line is sealed, while the remaining sections are gravel.

The former mayor and councillor John Philips was one of those behind the push to re-seal the road.

He described the road, which runs south to north from Remembrance Drive up towards Miners Rest, as one of the busiest unsealed roads around Ballarat.

Mr Philips told The Courier in June that the council would be spending a lot of money on repairs, which would be unnecessary if the road were re-surfaced.

Week-long surveys were conducted in May 2018 and as well as the same month this year on separate sections of the road.

The sections between Remembrance Drive and Western Highway all registered more than 1000 users over a week. The highest number of vehicles using the road in day was 222, registered in the paved section between Remembrance Drive and Blind Creek Road last year.

The statistics suggest an increase in heavy goods vehicles using the unsealed northern sections, with almost 22 per cent of vehicles being heavies this year compared to 14 per cent last year along the McCartney's Road to Western Highway section.

The section north of the Western Highway to Pound Hill Road was the least used - although no figures were included in the report for this year.

Mr Philips told The Courier that he believed the road traffic survey may have been skewed, saying that tapes had been placed 800m from the end of the gravel sections and had reduced the number of vehicles recorded.

The petitioners had asked for the road to be "given the highest possible ranking under the City of Ballarat Rural Roads Hierarchy for maintenance and upgrade works".

The council report acknowledged a fatal accident on this stretch of road and other evidence provided of dangerous conditions. It also mentioned that road required "significant investment" over a calendar year.

Officers said a review of the council's Rural Road Hierarchy policy would also be presented to Council this year.

The recommendation on Dowling Road will be discussed by councillors at next Wednesday's ordinary council meeting.

Mr Philips told The Courier on Wednesday that whatever the outcome, he and co-petitioners would "continue to campaign for [Dowling Road's] sealing to make it safe and accessible for everyone to use".

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