Delays and disruption has begun in Ballarat's CBD as works begin on two of the city's six most notorious intersections.
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Construction at the intersection of Raglan Street and Sturt Street has been ongoing since late 2019, while works began on Monday at the intersection of Ascot Street and Sturt Street.
Each of the intersections are receiving traffic light upgrades as part of Regional Roads Victoria's Sturt Street West project.
RRV would not confirm when the two sets of lights would be completed, however The Courier has previously reported the traffic lights would take up to 18 weeks to be finished.
The organisation did however confirm all six of the much debated intersections would receive improvements by late 2020.
RRV regional director (Western) Michael Bailey said in a statement the traffic lights were part of the organisation's plans to boost safety, while works on the other four intersections would begin after Raglan and Ascot were completed.
"As part of our plan to boost safety along Sturt Street, we're currently installing new traffic lights at the intersection of Raglan and Ascot Streets," he said.
"Once these works are complete, we'll move on to delivering upgrades at the Lyons, Errard, Windermere and Talbot street intersections, making Sturt Street safer and more accessible for thousands of people each day."
What to do with the intersections has been a contentious issue within the community over the past few years, with 135 people injured as the result of 85 crashes at these six intersections in the 10-year period between 2008 and 2018.
Roads and Road Safety Minister Jaala Pulford told The Courier in September 2019 the "notorious intersections have seen more than 100 crashes and countless near misses - we're getting on with these upgrades because everyone deserves to make it home safe."
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