Lights back in sight for busy Torquay intersection

WORKS to install traffic lights at the Surf Coast Highway and Bristol Road intersection in Torquay will restart in February, ending a construction pause that began early last year.

The project was brought to a stop in March, when unlisted NBN services were discovered underground during construction.

The telecommunications infrastructure had to be relocated before work could continue.

Surf Coast Shire general manager of placemaking and environment, Chris Pike, said the delay had been unavoidable.

“While these delays have been frustrating for everyone, the discovery of unexpected underground services meant we had to pause construction,” he said.

Pike said the shire was now able to move ahead with the project after NBN had completed its relocation works in November.

But with heavy traffic expected to continue over the summer tourism peak, works will not begin until February.

These works include the installation of new traffic lights, public lighting and a left-turn lane into Bristol Road. The upgrade is expected to take and two months, and Bristol Road will be closed to the public for some of this period.

Powercor will complete electrical tie-in works separately, and the new signals are expected to be operational in the first half of 2026.

“We understand how important this intersection is,” Pike said.

“We apologise for the unexpected delays and thank the community for their patience as we work to deliver a safe, more efficient intersection.”