Stawell to South Australian Border

Project Description

The Western Highway forms part of the Melbourne to Adelaide freight route and is a vital link in the freight flow between eastern and central Australia. It provides connectivity with other key freight routes throughout Victoria including the Midland, Sunraysia, Pyrenees, Henty and Wimmera Highways. This investment will support growing agricultural and tourist industries in the region by providing improved access for High Productivity Freight Vehicles and improving the safety and efficiency of the road network.

Works in Tranche 1 include:

- Horsham Junction Upgrade - The Australian Government is committing $4 million towards construct of a roundabout at the intersection of Henty Highway / Western Highway / Golf Course Road.

- Nhill-Jeparit Road Intersection Upgrade -  The Australian Government is commiting $1.5 million towards realignment of the Western Highway at the intersection with Nhill-Jeparit Road to increase the distance between the highway and nearby railway line.

- Seaby Street Intersection Upgrade - The Australian Government is committing $3.1 million towards signalisation of the intersection of the Western Highway and Seaby Street in Stawell.

- Scoping and Development - The Australian Government is committing $5.1 million towards scoping and develop works to inform works in future tranches. 

Benefits

The Western Highway forms part of the Melbourne to Adelaide freight route and is a vital link in the freight flow between eastern and central Australia. This link serves a mix of regional communities and industries, linking major agriculture including grain, timber, horticulture and livestock production areas of western Victoria and South Australia to Melbourne, Adelaide and the associated export markets.

These upgrades will address identified pinch points in the corridor to improve throughput. They are also expected to increase access for higher productivity freight vehicles, leading to an overall increase in the efficiency and safety of the corridor for all road users. Upgrades to this corridor are also expected to support local industry and the creation of local jobs.

Funding

The Australian Government is contributing $60 million towards this $75 million project.

The remaining $46.1 million in Australian Govenrment funding will be allocated to future priorities along the corridor. 

Timetable

Scoping and development works for the corridor began in mid 2021. Tranche 1 works for the corridor are expected to begin construction in 2022 and 2023.