We have updated our design for the Western Highway Upgrade between Buangor and Ararat to meet contemporary road safety and design standards and minimise impacts on the environment and Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Based on extensive work with the Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP), the project now has an approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP).
We have also been working to update other key planning and environmental approvals, which have now been submitted to the relevant State and Federal departments for consideration.
While we work through our planning, crews will continue to undertake environmental management activities and maintain the safety and security of the project site.
While we await construction to resume, the Department of Transport and Planning has implemented a number of safety measures in response to a number of devastating serious injury crashes and lives lost.
These include:
- A speed reduction from 100km/h to 80km/h on a 1.2 kilometre stretch of road at the Langhi Ghiran rail overpass
- ‘High Risk Area’ signs
- Additional curve alignment markers (signs) which guide drivers around bends, indicating the direction and severity of a curve.
- Additional ‘two-way road’ signs and painted arrows
- Extending the solid line barrier linemarking to prevent overtaking.