- Minister for Road Safety and the TAC
- Minister for Roads
The second stage of safety upgrades to the western end of Sturt Street will make it easier and safer for drivers to perform U-turns at a key intersection outside two of the Ballarat's busiest schools.
The new U-turn lane at the intersection of Sturt Street and Elliott Street will make it easier for drivers to turn safely and minimise the risk of rear-end crashes.
The project is part of the Andrews Labor Government's $4.8 million investment in improving travel between Ballarat's rapidly growing western suburbs and the CBD.
The Sturt Street-Elliott Street intersection is close to both Ballarat Clarendon College and St Patrick's College, with high levels of traffic travelling through the area throughout the day, particularly around school pick-up and drop-off times.
To minimise disruptions, work is scheduled to coincide with the school holiday period where possible - beginning Saturday 29 June - and is expected to take up to four weeks to complete.
The opening stage of works on the Sturt St West Improvement Project was completed in May this year.
This included closing the median so that drivers can only turn left in to Vale Street and left out on to Sturt Street - improving safety and traffic flow.
At Ballarat High School, the right turning lane from Sturt Street into the service road outside the school was extended to reduce congestion during school pick-up and drop-off times.
The road surface was also improved at the entrance and exit to the school, while footpaths around the school have been upgraded, with the ability to turn right from Longley Street removed to reduce the risk of crashes.
Other improvements scheduled to take place as part of the package include the installation of new traffic lights near Loreto College at the Russell Street/Morrison Street intersection and new traffic lanes at the Arch of Victory roundabout.
To keep track of this project or check out what other works are underway or planned in your area visit regionalroads.vic.gov.au.
As noted by Minister for Roads and Minister for Road Safety and the TAC Jaala Pulford
"This section of Sturt Street is a key link between people in Ballarat's west and the town centre- so we're making sure people can get to work, school or the shops safely."
As noted by Member for Wendouree Julianna Addison
"This is just one of the many roads projects that we're delivering around Ballarat to ensure that people driving, walking and cycling can get around safely and easily."
