Page 22 - drive a2b october 2019

VICTORIA
NEWS

WESTERN FREEWAY

SAFETY

BOOST

People driving between the over during breakdowns and safety upgrades, we’ve made
Western Ring Road and emergencies. it safer to drive between
ON THE RO
Ballarat will now have a safer The Western Freeway is one Ballarat and Melbourne each
journey with the completion of the most important routes and every day.”
AD
of a package of safety in the state, connecting the “There’s no doubt these
upgrades along the Western western growth zone with newly installed safety
Freeway.
the city, and serves as the barriers will save lives and
The final safety upgrades major road link for freight I want to thank drivers for
between Bacchus Marsh between Melbourne, Western their patience as we have
and Leigh Creek are now Victoria, and South Australia. rolled them out.”
complete and are part of This road was listed as The improvements will
around 230 kilometres one of the state’s most significantly improve safety
of flexible safety barrier dangerous, between 2013 along the Western Freeway
installed on the Western and 2018 there were 28 and reduce the risk and
Freeway thanks to the fatalities, and 207 serious severity of head-on and run-
Andrews Labor Government.
injuries on this stretch of off-road crashes.
The new barriers also road. Existing safety barriers
include additional turning Minister for Roads and on the Western Freeway
points for emergency Minister for Road Safety were hit 236 times in 2018
services and access breaks and the TAC Jaala Pulford – which is 236 potentially
from every 500m to 1km said, “With these major serious crashes avoided.
that allow cars space to pull
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