As the federal election looms, the Albanese government has continued to ramp up its roading spend with an additional $1.1 billion now committed to upgrade Victoria’s Western Freeway.
Most of that money – about $1 billion – will go towards the section of the highway between the outer suburbs of Melton and Caroline Springs in Melbourne’s west.
Approximately 86,000 vehicles travel the Western Freeway stretch between Melton and Caroline Springs each day, with this figure expected to rise to approximately 113,000 by 2031.
In the Ballarat suburb of Warrenheip, $100 million will be spent on planning upgrades to the highway’s intersection with Brewery Tap road.
More than $6 million has also been allocated to strengthen the Dimboola Bridge over the Melbourne-Adelaide railway line and Dadswells Bridge over the Mt William Creek flood plain, between Stawell and the South Australian border.
Construction of the bridge upgrades is expected to start this year, and be finished by the end of 2026.
“We’re investing in the transport projects that matter most to Victorians, delivering a rail link to Melbourne Airport, fixing our regional and suburban roads, and strengthening our busiest freeways,” said Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King.
“We’re investing $2.1 billion in the Western Freeway corridor, $7 billion in the Melbourne Airport rail link, and $1 billion in a suburban road blitz because we care about our cities, our suburbs and our regions.”
At a media event today announcing the funding, the minister denied the funding was designed to lure voters ahead of the federal election.
“We’re making this as a decision of government — we are not in an election campaign yet,” she said.
“So, that will appear in the pre-election financial outlook.”
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