Two more stages of the Princes Highway duplication between Sale and Traralgon are nearing completion.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said a 3.4km section at Nambrok and another 3.9km section just east of Traralgon were both due for completion early next year.
“Anyone driving from Traralgon to Sale will have noticed the section between Minniedale Road and Sheepwash Creek Road really starting to take shape,” Mr Chester said.
“That new section should be open to traffic early next year which will mark a milestone 30km of duplication completed over nine stages.”
The section at Nambrok, where the highway intersects with the Rosedale-Maffra Road, was also due for completion early next year.
Mr Chester said the Federal Government had provided $210 million of the $260 million for the first nine sections of duplication.
“The Federal Government has announced an additional $132 million to see the project finished – but is awaiting a commitment from the Victorian Labor Government to allow the final stages of work to commence.
“The Victorian Government is required to contribute 20 percent of the cost which is the $33 million shortfall.”
Mr Chester said there were two further sections of the Princes Highway to duplicate at Flynn and Kilmany.
“The finished project will greatly improve freight efficiencies for major industries across the region,” Mr Chester said.
“Importantly, it will also provide a safer road, making the Gippsland region more accessible to visitors from Melbourne and beyond.”
Since the Princes Highway duplication project commenced in 2016, the following sections have been completed:
• Traralgon East, between Traralgon-Maffra Road and Stammers Road
• Traralgon East, between Stammers Road and Minniedale Road
• Flynn to Rosedale
• Nambrok (Stage 1), between Dennison Road and Nambrok Road
• Fulham (Stage 1), between Sale-Heyfield Road and Wurruk
• Fulham (Stage 2), from Sale-Heyfield Road to Sale-Cowwarr Road
• Wurruk to Sale.
Two more sections are nearing completion, both expected to be completed early next year:
• Nambrok (Stage 2)
• Traralgon East (Stage 3) between Minniedale Road and Sheepwash Creek Road
Preconstruction works have commenced on the final two stages, but construction work cannot begin until the State Government commits funding. These final two stages are:
• Flynn, located from the east of Sheepwash Creek Road to the west of Flynn Creek Road
• Kilmany, between Rosedale Maffra Road and Sale Cowwarr Road (linking Nambrok Stage 2 to Fulham 2).
“We all want this important project to be completed as soon as possible, so we can start to enjoy the benefits of this major investment,” Mr Chester said.
“Everyone who travels along the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale has shown an enormous amount of patience during this long period of construction and I think we are all looking forward to the time when the full 42 kilometres of highway between Traralgon and Sale are duplicated to provide a better, safer highway.”
