The Victorian Government has announced a $120 million package of works for upgrades to three key projects along the Western Highway.
According to a statement from the State Government, $60 million in funding will be used to help start pre-construction work on the Ararat and Beaufort Bypasses and planning work for improvements between Stawell and the South Australian border.
The Ararat and Beaufort Bypasses will both receive $25 million for planning and detailed designs, ensuring that both projects are ready for construction.
The project to upgrade the Western Highway has already seen 55 kilometres of highway upgraded and duplicated to four lanes between Ballarat and Buangor.
Another $10 million will fund planning work between Stawell and the South Australian border, with pavement strengthening to cater for the high volume of freight traffic.
The highway will also undergo road rehabilitation to improve safety and reliability.
The $120 million package of works is joint-funded between the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments as part of the Victorian Infrastructure Package.