Key elements of the Drysdale Bypass starting to take shape

MAJOR Road Projects Victoria is pushing ahead with key elements of the Drysdale Bypass following the completion of major earthworks earlier this year.

Program director Tim Price said it was exciting to see the structural elements of the Bellarine Railway overpass and the new pedestrian underpass beginning to take shape.

Mr Price said construction on the Bellarine Railway overpass was now under way, with foundations being put in place for a 25-metre-long arch over the railway.

The 7.8-metre-high arched overpass is designed to match the area’s rural and historic landscape and will feature a split stone finish.

Work has also started on a new pedestrian underpass linking the township of Drysdale with the education, arts and sporting precinct on Peninsula Drive.

This will be a welcome boost to safety for students entering the busy area and forms part of the six-kilometre shared user path that will be built as part of the project.

More than 11 per cent of the 20,000 vehicles which travel through Drysdale daily are heavy vehicles.

Once the new bypass is open, it is anticipated half of these trucks will be diverted from local roads, improving safety for local drivers, pedestrians and cyclists while enhancing the amenity and community feel of Drysdale.

The $117 million Drysdale Bypass is the biggest road infrastructure project on the Bellarine Peninsula.

It is being delivered by Major Road Projects Victoria and is on track to be completed in 2020.