Students inspire completion of Drysdale underpass

STUDENTS on the Bellarine Peninsula have used their favourite motivational words to inspire the completion of the Drysdale underpass.

The finalised pedestrian underpass was made possible by the words and wisdom of students from the nearby schools of St Thomas Primary School, St Ignatius College and Bellarine Secondary School.

Students selected the words, “believe and achieve”, “dream”, “inspire”, “be yourself”, “smile” and “be the difference” as their daily reminders and motivators while accessing the underpass constructed by Major Road Projects Victoria.

Bellarine Secondary College captain Rebecca Smith said it was “great” to see some words of encouragement on her travels.

“When you get to school it’s nice to see some aspiring words for the day – they couldn’t have chosen better,” she said.

St Ignatius College captain Daniel McInerney said he was “gobsmacked” after viewing the completed project.

“The words are perfect, I also love to dream big, I have big plans for the future,” he said.

The new visual display will now complete the underpass which connects Drysdale with the education, arts and sporting precincts located on Peninsula Drive.

Major Road Projects Victoria project director Tim Price said the initiative was an example of the local community taking pride in infrastructure.

“This is another fantastic example of the local community engaging wholeheartedly in local infrastructure which makes the Bellarine a better place to live,” he said.

“What the school students have created here is great – a piece to be really proud of.”

The underpass comes as a safety boost for pedestrians and cyclists following the completion of the $117 million Drysdale Bypass in June 2020.

Stretching across six kilometres of road from Jetty Road to the north of Whitcombes Road, the major works created more than 100 jobs and involved 335,000 working hours.

“The Drysdale Bypass has already seen traffic congestion ease through the centre of the town, making it safer for the local community and road users,” Mr Price said.