Warmer weather's around the corner, and that means more roadworks.
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Already, much of Ballarat is virtually paralysed by ongoing works - roundabout removals among the biggest offenders - and the chaos will continue as council projects and Black Spot upgrades get under way.
The state government's Keeping Ballarat Moving project has four worksites on the go at once, two in Sebastopol and two in Delacombe.
The Sebastopol ones, at Hertford Street and Docwra Street, will result in new sets of traffic lights, but in the meantime roads are closed and businesses are screaming - driver confusion about right-hand-turns on Hertford Street is particularly worrying, business owners and residents say, with multiple vehicles every day seen trying to get to the Woolworths car park through temporary barriers.
CHECK OUT OUR MAP OF MAJOR ROADWORKS HERE:
Expect Wiltshire Lane south of Greenhalghs Road to DTC to be closed until at least November - that's pretty much all of term four, parents - for earthworks, drainage, and the eventual traffic light installation.
Further up, at La Trobe Street, don't expect the eventual traffic light switch-on to be the end of works in the area - a roundabout will be built at Dyson Drive and Carngham Road, and the state government's committed $6 million for a business case to duplicate Carngham Road, though it's not clear when construction could begin.
The state government will also be doing patch jobs along the Western Freeway and Midland Highway, and on the Ballarat-Maryborough Road at Miners Rest.
Meanwhile, council has promised to get started on roundabout works at the dangerous Ring Road and Gregory Street West intersection and at Navigators and Warrenheip roads as part of its summer works program.
There'll be another 170 roads resurfaced to address growing anger about potholes across the city, and parking and footpath work on Sturt Street appears near completion.
Design work has begun on Black Spot intersections included in this year's federal funding round - remember a new roundabout will be built at Ripon Street and Urquhart Street in Ballarat Central, while much-needed intersection upgrades are coming to Eureka Street at Otway Street and Fussell Street.
A right-turn lane will also be added to the Coltman Plaza traffic lights in Lucas.
There's also a new roundabout being designed at Remembrance Drive and Madden Road in Cardigan, as well as developer-funded works across the western growth zone - this includes another roundabout on the Glenelg Highway at Innsbruck Road.
The Courier team will be hitting the streets across the west in November to see how traffic has changed in the last six months - keep an eye out for our analysis.
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