NEXT SECTION OF HIGHWAY DUPLICATION UNDERWAY
December 18, 2013
Duplication of the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale is a step closer after Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester turned the first sod at the Nambrok Rd section of the project today.
The Nambrok Rd section is the fourth of six sections which make up the $175 million duplication project jointly funded by the Federal ($140 million) and State ($35 million) Governments.
Mr Chester said the Nambrok Rd section had a poor crash history with three fatal accidents, including a double fatality, and four other people seriously injured since 2003.
“Approximately 8,400 vehicles travel along the Nambrok Rd section of highway every day and 20 per cent of these are heavy vehicles,” Mr Chester said.
“Four people have lost their lives while travelling this section of the highway and these works are vital to eliminating deadly head on crashes in the future.”
Mr Chester said 2.8 kilometres of the highway would be duplicated east of Denison Rd to east of Nambrok Rd.
“Works will involve upgrading the Nambrok Rd intersection to a wide median intersection making the highway access safer for all drivers as well as construction of a new road with a 15 metre centre median to separate the east and west bound lanes,” Mr Chester said.
“Guard fencing and wire rope safety barriers will also be installed to protect drivers from traffic hazards close to the side of the road.
“When complete, the current duplicated section of the highway east of Rosedale will extend through to the overtaking lane between Nambrok Rd and Rosedale-Maffra Rd.”
Mr Chester said the Nambrok Rd section was due to be completed in mid-2015 with the rest of the project progressing well.
“The first section, Traralgon East, was completed in December 2010 and the section between Reid Drive, Wurruk to Reeve Street, Sale opened to traffic in July this year with only final surfacing works remaining,” Mr Chester said.
“Construction on the 1.7 kilometre Stammers Rd to Minniedale Rd section in Traralgon East began in early September and tenders for the 8.3 kilometre Flynn to Rosedale section have now closed with the successful contractor to be announced early in 2014.”