Lake Wendouree tram track replacement project to be fast-tracked to avoid traffic disruptions

The first sod will be turned on Monday for the tram track replacement project, which is expected to take up to two months to complete.

The 1.4 kilometre section of tram track, which dates back to 1905 and 1930, along Wendouree Parade will be replaced.

Ballarat Tramway Museum president Paul Mong said the project would be staged over one-and-a-half to two months.

Traffic along the tram track section of Wendouree Parade will be one-way only while the works are being carried out.

"All up it will take one-and-a-half to two months to complete but we are looking at completing the majority of Wendouree Parade within the next few weeks," Mr Mong said.

READ MORE:

Huge funding boost for Ballarat Tramway Museum will see tracks replaced at last

"There has been a lot of planning gone into this project to try and fast track it as quickly as possible so there is less impact on the community regarding traffic."

Mr Mong said Fulton Hogan was awarded the contract to carry out the works and they were trying to fast track the project to avoid disruptions.

The Ballarat Tramway Museum has been working with Heritage Victoria over the past two years on the project.

Mr Mong said the BTM was excited the project was starting after 10 years of lobbying.

"The condition of the rail is very, very poor and it's doing a lot of constructional damage to our trams and potentially putting the public at risk so we're being proactive," Mr Mong said.

"We are showcasing Ballarat's history but we are also delivering economic impact to Ballarat through tourism."

The trams carry about 30,000 people every year, allowing them to relive the past and experience what Ballarat was like before the 1970s.

Mr Mong said there was an interesting backstory to the tram track restoration project.

"The tracks that were replaced in the 1930s were obviously done during the depression so they used a lot of unskilled workers to lay the tracks which created jobs," he said.

IN OTHER NEWS

"Fast forward nearly 100 years and we are obviously generating local jobs replacing the track again.

"We are trying, as part of the grants, to generate local jobs and use local suppliers as much as possible to help them recover from coronavirus."

Mr Mong thanked all tiers of government for supporting the project.

Meanwhile, the Ballarat Tramway Museum will open the doors of its newly-built museum this weekend.

The new building, fully funded by the museum and its members, has been built to house collections, memorabilia and photos.

It will open on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 from 11am to 4pm. For more details visit, https://www.btm.org.au/

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.