The Federal and Victorian governments have signed off on a combined $50 million package of works for the Princes Highway in eastern Victoria.
The works include an overtaking lane, safety barriers and other improvements, and are aimed at improving connections between Gippsland to the north of the border, including to the Port of Eden and Canberra.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, and Member for Gippsland, Darren Chester said the improvements will address safety risks in the Nicholson and Lakes Entrance areas by improving intersections and providing a new rest area at the Jemmy’s Point lookout.
“With the addition of a new roundabout in Cann River, the Princes Highway in far East Gippsland will be made safer for B-double trucks, allowing for the efficient movement of local horticulture, seafood and forestry products.”
Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said the Princes Highway was an important freight corridor and the major route for tourist traffic through Gippsland and southern New South Wales.
“These upgrades will deliver a significant safety boost for drivers along the highway, particularly around Lakes Entrance, with a new overtaking lane east of Genoa, and new safety barriers at high-risk locations,” Mr. Donnellan said.
“The upgrade will fix many dangerous sections of the highway in far East Gippsland, where there are steep drop-offs and sharp curves that make it difficult for motorists to overtake safely, increasing the risk of run-off-road and head-on crashes.”