A new roundabout on Ring Road, in Ballarat's west, is nearing completion.
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The intersection of Ring Road and Gregory Street West is now operational after the construction of a roundabout in place of the intersection's previous cross-road.
Work on the notorious intersection began in February this year, costing $1.1 million in total with partial funding from the federal government.
The roundabout provides access from Gregory Street West to the nearby Link Road, which runs parallel to Ring Road.
The previous cross-road intersection had been the site of an above-average number of crashes since it was upgraded as part of the Link Road project.
Changes to traffic conditions while preparing for works in 2020 saw right-of-way priority taken from the Ring Road and assigned to Gregory Street West, a dangerous decision causing driver confusion and 'unacceptable risk' according to council, and the street was closed temporarily.
Many proposals and traffic solutions were put forward over the lifetime of the intersection, including closing the connection between the Link Road and Gregory Street West.
In 2021, the City of Ballarat conducted a traffic safety audit on the troubled intersection to determine the best intersection layout from a traffic safety perspective.
Some final works on the roundabout remain to be completed, with a speed limit reduction in place around the intersection.
The City of Ballarat will also be conducting asphalting and patch work on Ring Road from June 5 to June 16.
Elsewhere, the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Warrenheip and Navigators roads has been completed.
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