Linked in: Budget supports planning work on Bellarine Link

MONEY from last week’s 2021-22 State Budget will help move the long-awaited missing link of the Geelong Ring Road forward.

The Bellarine Link will stretch generally south-west from Portarlington Road and then the Bellarine Highway to the Surf Coast Highway at Grovedale.

The $2.571 million in the budget will support planning and development work for the project, which will be the Geelong Ring Road’s fifth and final stage.

The Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) website notes the Bellarine Link was transferred from Regional Road Victoria (RRV) to MRPV in early 2019 to continue planning and investigations.

MRPV is reviewing the technical studies and designs developed by RRV, including RRV’s preferred alignment chosen in late 2017.

“We will make every effort during our investigations to ensure our design minimises impacts on private land and sensitive environmental areas,” the website states.

A map on the website shows a proposed alignment for the road, but both MRPV and South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman have stressed the route shown is not final and is subject to change.

From the west, the proposed alignment starts at the intersection of Surf Coast Highway and Baanip Boulevard, with the proposed interchange to include on-ramps and off-ramps, and has three major intersections at Drews Road, Barwon Heads Road and Gateway Avenue before it crosses the Barwon River via a bridge.

The Bellarine Link then curves towards major intersections at Woods Road/Wellington Street in St Albans Park, Townsend Road/Highcliff Street, the Bellarine Highway at Moolap Station Road, and Portarlington Road west of Caledonia Street.

Mr Cheeseman said the first section of road to be built would be between Surf Coast Highway and Barwon Heads Road.

“The Bellarine Link has been on the table for a long time, and that’s (the map) just one of a number of options that are viable and being investigated,” he said.

“I think the planning process will look at all the various options that are available and I imagine determine which is the most likely of those routes.

“Obviously, the particular area of importance early on is the part between the Surf Coast Highway and Barwon Heads Road, and then beyond that, ultimately all the way to the Bellarine; that’s another major piece of work.

“The funding is to start that planning process, to identify what are the options in a more detailed way. They’re big projects, they’re important, and these planning processes just take time and cost money.”

MRPV director of program services and engineering Alexis Davison said the Bellarine Link would provide “a key east-west connection across Greater Geelong, helping to improve safety, reduce congestion and ensure the road network keeps pace with future growth in the area”.

“Preliminary design and development work is currently underway, with significant technical and environmental studies required before a final alignment can be confirmed for the corridor,” she said.