The Victorian Government’s $100 million Fixing Country Roads Program is set to improve local roads, and every single regional council across the State will benefit from the first round of funding awards under this program.
All 48 of Victoria’s regional councils has been awarded a portion of the $30.1 million investment that will help in road rehabilitation and resealing, bridge strengthening or road safety improvement works.
“The Fixing Country Roads Fund is about making sure that every road - regardless of who manages it - is safe and reliable,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said.
Round one of the program will fund up to 91 projects across Victoria, including:
Construction of a new Gillies Road roundabout in the City of Ballarat
Rebuilding and widening of Perkins Road at Lara in the City of Geelong
Bridge strengthening at Cape Otway Road in the Surf Coast Shire
Construction and resealing of Flynns Creek Road in Latrobe City
Rebuilding the Murphy Street and Strickland Road roundabout in Bendigo to cater for larger freight vehicles
The second round of the Fixing Country Roads Program is set to open early next year and up to $70 million in funding is going to be available to councils that will have eligible projects.
Projects or works under the Fixing Country Roads Program include:
Pavement quality improvements including pavement rehabilitations and sealing of gravel roads
Reconstructing damaged roads, with priority given to strategic transport links or connections to essential community services
Bridge improvement works including bridge strengthening/replacement on strategic routes
Capacity upgrades to promote better traffic flow and journey efficiency and reliability including intersection improvements
Local road intersection improvements
Safety upgrades on local roads
Round one funding recipients must deliver the works by June of next year. On the other hand, projects under the second round must be delivered by June 2020.
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Source: Premier of Victoria; Roads and Infrastructure Australia; Regional Roads Victoria