Delacombe Way has been made safer thanks to a $478,000 investment through the Victorian Government’s AgriLinks Upgrade Program.
Despite recent intense weather events, Delacombe Way is now fully sealed as crews laid the final layer of bitumen this week.
Millers Civil Construction and Council have delivered an upgrade that not only widened Delacombe Way from a single lane to a double lane road, but also improved drainage, which included a reconstruction to a 7.2 metre sealed width to improve road safety and traffic flow for motorists.
Ararat Rural Council CEO, Dr Tim Harrison said improved road safety and accessibility for all road users, especially heavy vehicles, were the drivers behind the Delacombe Way upgrade.
“Council recognises the route as road of rural significance for farmers and local business – adding an extra lane to Delacombe Way provides better connectivity, improved traffic flow and safety for all road users,” Dr Harrison said.
“Works started from Main Street in Willaura through to Mortlake Ararat Road, reconstructing around 735-metre section of a heavily used road for local agricultural freight.
“In its final stage, sealing works were temporarily halted due to severe wet weather. Following the heavy rainfall, debris and final clean-up works were carried out, only to find the rain had scoured a section of the road.
“Crews had to again lay the crushed rock to form a solid foundation for the bitumen and the final seal was applied once weather conditions improved, which strengthen the pavement. Parts of this job may not have gone exactly to plan but crews made significant progress in the end.”
“This upgrade will be particularly beneficial to the community in times of flood as these additional works will stop stormwater damage to the road and improve road safety.”
The $478,000 Delacombe Way project, funded by the Victorian Government as part of the AgriLinks Upgrade Program, included earthworks, drainage works and reconstruction of 720 metres of road in Willaura.