We start at set points at 8.30am, and time how long it takes to get to Town Hall on Sturt Street, taking six different routes through roadworks, detours, and school traffic.

SEE THE LAST THREE "STREET RACES"

So much has changed since we began doing these articles, which is of course no surprise to the residents - thought that said, there will be a lot more people living here than there were six months ago.

We chose these routes to simulate a school drop off and perhaps a morning meeting in the CBD.

Four drivers leave from the corner of Dyson Drive and Ballarat-Carngham Road - one went north and turned right at Remembrance Drive; one turned at Cuthberts Road, left at Learmonth Street, then right onto Sturt Street; one went west to Learmonth Street, turning right then right again onto Sturt; and one followed La Trobe Street to Skipton Street, turning left onto the Midland Highway.

From the Delacombe Town Centre, this time the routes were a bit different - one driver aimed to go north along Wiltshire Lane to Sturt Street, and another west to Hertford Street, but both encountered detours.

The routes generally take about 20 minutes to get to Town Hall, with times fluctuating depending on roadworks and detours.

The worst two routes in April, when we last tried the routes, were on Carngham Road and Wiltshire Lane at 24 minutes and five seconds, and Dyson Drive and Remembrance Drive at 22:53.

There are still plenty of roadworks happening, part of the state government's $60 million Keeping Ballarat Moving projects. This meant our drivers going from DTC got sent into a maze of side streets - the route along Wiltshire Lane took 23.28, far longer than the 17 minutes in April, but the route to Sebastopol only took 15.30, much less than the 18.56 last time.

On Dyson Drive, times were much shorter than last time, at 19.10 along Cuthberts Road compared to 20.15 last time, and 20.16 along Remembrance Drive compared to 22.53 last time.

On Carngham Road, both routes took about 22 minutes flat - last time, it took 24 minutes up Wiltshire Lane, and 21 minutes along La Trobe Street.

First thing - the roads are practically corrugated and drivers were dodging potholes, which is not news to anyone who drives or rides a vehicle in Ballarat.

Also, roadworks are progressing - for example, the Hertford Street intersection is now finished, which meant our driver had a much smoother run at that point.

Workers are still hacking through other big intersections at DTC and at La Trobe Street, even though traffic light poles have gone up. There are also several more patch jobs or new developments requiring roadworks, which meant a few 40km/h zones along the routes.

Hopefully by April, we'll see more of the roadworks finished, and then we'll actually know how much of an effect all the intersection works have had.

Looking at the times through Hertford Street, even with a detour, there's positive signs ahead for drivers as our city continues growing.

However, Dyson Drive will remain something of a nightmare, as roundabout construction is set to begin in the new year - plus whoever wins the state election, there'll be duplication works on Carngham Road or Dyson Drive ahead.

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