Work is underway on the Andrews Labor Government’s $37 million safety upgrade of the Western Freeway between the Western Ring Road and Ballarat.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan today visited a worksite outside of Bacchus Marsh where lifesaving wire rope barriers are being installed.
Last year, existing flexible safety barriers on the Western Freeway were hit 147 times. That’s 147 potentially deadly crashes prevented.
Regional Victoria remains over-represented in fatalities with the number of lives lost on rural roads up from 150 to 155 in 2017, while Victoria’s overall lives lost figure fell from 290 in 2016 to 257 last year.
Victorians are five times more likely to die on rural roads than in the city, that’s why the Labor Government is investing in flexible safety barriers, rumble strip line-marking and overtaking lanes on the state’s most high-risk rural roads.
In addition to the safety improvements, the Labor Government has doubled VicRoads road maintenance budget with a $556 million package announced in last year’s budget.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Roads Safety Luke Donnellan
“We’re installing these barriers because they are proven to save lives – it’s simple as that.”
“Rather than using these lifesaving barriers to score grubby political points the Liberals should visit the families of people whose lives have been saved by these barriers and explain to them why their lives don’t matter.”
“We’ve doubled our investment in road maintenance since coming to office – this year VicRoads is doing more maintenance work than it’s done in decades.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020