City of Ballarat south ward councillor Ben Taylor said he received indication some months ago that a set of gates had been constructed and were in storage.

Cr Taylor received photos confirming their existence, which he then forwarded to The Courier.

The gates were constructed by Yea carpenter Brendan Dignam and allegedly completed last winter before being put in storage.

The Courier believes a new set of gates was already in the pipeline when the last set was destroyed by a out-of-control train last May.

Mr Dignam also was part of the destroyed gates' construction in Seymour about 15 years ago.

Cr Taylor said it was frustrating to see a finished set of gates while waiting for a solution.

"We're 12 months into the accident occurring, the gates have already been constructed and it's frustrating there hasn't already been a solution put forward," he said.

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"If the gates are there, if the mechanism is functioning, why not make the investment and get the gates reinstalled with the mechanism that's there?"

Cr Taylor said replacing the heritage gates with conventional boom gates should be the last option.

"I'm just hoping they're looking at what options are available and are being creative about those options so we can get Lydiard Street open," he said.

"I believe that boom gates should be the last option because we should be keeping heritage options there and look at how those gates can work better and faster and connect with the central system."

A state government spokesperson said the replica gates, along with the underground heritage mechanisms, were damaged beyond repair in the incident and discussions with Heritage Victoria and the City of Ballarat were ongoing.

"There is no simple solution to the Lydiard Street level crossing - the infrastructure and signalling system in Ballarat is incredibly unique and there are also significant heritage considerations which add to the complexity and we are working through the options for a safe solution as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said.

"We understand the frustration the road closure has caused locals and we apologise for that."

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