Roadworks finish for the year

ROADS have reopened around a major upgrade of Barwon Heads Road in time for Christmas, with traffic disruptions to ramp up again in mid-January.

All lanes approaching the Barwon Heads Road roundabout have opened until construction restarts next month, though speed reductions will remain due to changed traffic conditions.

Night works ended at Marshalltown Road ahead of schedule last week, reopening lanes approaching the intersection.

Lanes approaching the roundabout on Marshalltown Road will close again for a week on January 17, and the road will have reduced speeds until January 28.

Meanwhile, a service road linking Barwon Heads Road to Horseshoe Bend Road opened last week.

In late January, crews will open a service road to Norcott Road and permanently close the existing entrance immediately south of the railway line.

Access to Horseshoe Bend Road North from Barwon Heads Road will also close from February until the project’s completion, currently slated for late 2023.

Builders have also begun work at a railway crossing bridge at Marshall that will send duplicated-lane traffic over the train line to improve traffic flow.

Builders will continue installing more than 1000 piles for the 390-metre-long, nine-metre-high rail bridge during the coming months to pave the way for further construction next year.

Stage one of the $318-million upgrade will deliver four kilometres of duplicated lanes from the Princes Highway at Belmont to Reserve Road, which borders Marshall and Charlemont.

The project also includes improved intersections and shared walking and cycling paths to support all road users.

“This project is vital to the local community and it’s great to see these works progressing to help get motorists home safer and sooner,” South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman said.

“The upgrade will provide better connections and improve safety for the many families, business owners and essential services travelling between Geelong and the Bellarine.”