Western Highway, Victoria
Encyclopedia
The Western Highway is part of the principal route linking the Australia
n cities of Melbourne
and Adelaide
with a length of approximately 314 kilometres. It is a part of the National Highway
network and designated as National Highway A8. The eastern end continues on as the Western Freeway
at Burrumbeet, and the western end continues beyond the Victorian border as Dukes Highway
, the other sections of the Melbourne-Adelaide National Highway.
The Western Highway is the second busiest national highway in Australia, in terms of freight movements, with over five million tonnes annually. It provides the critical link between the eastern seaboard and South Australia
and Western Australia
. The towns along the way, including Ballarat, Ararat
, Stawell
and Horsham
, are major agricultural and manufacturing centres.
. It is mainly a high quality single carriageway from there to Ballarat, with adequate numbers of overtaking lanes. However, the highway does pass through several agricultural centres, for example Horsham, Victoria
, slowing down traffic significantly.
Just north-west of Ballarat, the Western Highway
becomes the Western Freeway
, adopting freeway standards with two lanes running each way, and begins bypassing most of the towns the old alignment of the highway used to serve. Plans are underway for the end of this freeway to be extended from the current terminus at Burrumbeet westward towards Ararat
and eventually to Stawell
, involving 200,000 cubic metres of earthworks and a new bridge over the main Melbourne–Adelaide railway. Previously high vehicles could not travel under the rail overpass and were forced to detour around it, in addition the poor road conditions led to a number of accidents and fatalities. Costing $6.1 million the work was completed by 2003.
Proposed duplication of the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell between 2009 and 2014, to be funded by Auslink 2.http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/DOIElect.nsf/$UNIDS+for+Web+Display/8185202EE11606F8CA2573A80015B616/$FILE/AusLink2_WesternHighwayBallarat.pdf
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cities of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
with a length of approximately 314 kilometres. It is a part of the National Highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
network and designated as National Highway A8. The eastern end continues on as the Western Freeway
Western Freeway (Victoria)
The Western Freeway is a 125 kilometre Australian freeway linking the state capital of Victoria to the major regional city of Ballarat...
at Burrumbeet, and the western end continues beyond the Victorian border as Dukes Highway
Dukes Highway
The Dukes Highway is an important 189 kilometre highway corridor in South Australia which links the Australian cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. It is part of the National Highway system spanning Australia, and is signed as National Highway A8....
, the other sections of the Melbourne-Adelaide National Highway.
The Western Highway is the second busiest national highway in Australia, in terms of freight movements, with over five million tonnes annually. It provides the critical link between the eastern seaboard and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The towns along the way, including Ballarat, Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
, Stawell
Stawell, Victoria
Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035....
and Horsham
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
, are major agricultural and manufacturing centres.
Route
The Western Highway begins at the Victorian-South Australian border, east of BordertownBordertown, South Australia
Bordertown is a small South Australian town near the Victorian border. It is where the Dukes Highway and the railway line, the two main routes between Adelaide and Melbourne, cross Tatiara Creek....
. It is mainly a high quality single carriageway from there to Ballarat, with adequate numbers of overtaking lanes. However, the highway does pass through several agricultural centres, for example Horsham, Victoria
Horsham, Victoria
Horsham is the largest city by population and regional centre of the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia and is approximately north-west of Melbourne via the Western Highway. At the 2006 census, Horsham had a population of 14,125. Horsham is in the federal Division of Mallee...
, slowing down traffic significantly.
Just north-west of Ballarat, the Western Highway
becomes the Western FreewayWestern Freeway (Victoria)
The Western Freeway is a 125 kilometre Australian freeway linking the state capital of Victoria to the major regional city of Ballarat...
, adopting freeway standards with two lanes running each way, and begins bypassing most of the towns the old alignment of the highway used to serve. Plans are underway for the end of this freeway to be extended from the current terminus at Burrumbeet westward towards AraratArarat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
and eventually to Stawell
Stawell, Victoria
Stawell , is a town in the Wimmera region of Victoria, Australia. The town is located in Shire of Northern Grampians Local Government Area, west-north-west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Stawell had a population of 6,035....
Upgrades
In 2001 work started on a 4.2 kilometre long deviation at ArmstrongArmstrong, Victoria
Armstrong is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on the Western Highway, north of Ararat, in the local government area of Rural City of Ararat....
, involving 200,000 cubic metres of earthworks and a new bridge over the main Melbourne–Adelaide railway. Previously high vehicles could not travel under the rail overpass and were forced to detour around it, in addition the poor road conditions led to a number of accidents and fatalities. Costing $6.1 million the work was completed by 2003.
Proposed duplication of the Western Highway between Ballarat and Stawell between 2009 and 2014, to be funded by Auslink 2.http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/DOIElect.nsf/$UNIDS+for+Web+Display/8185202EE11606F8CA2573A80015B616/$FILE/AusLink2_WesternHighwayBallarat.pdf
See also
- Western FreewayWestern Freeway (Victoria)The Western Freeway is a 125 kilometre Australian freeway linking the state capital of Victoria to the major regional city of Ballarat...
- Ballarat RoadBallarat Road, MelbourneBallarat Road is a major urban arterial road in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
- Dukes HighwayDukes HighwayThe Dukes Highway is an important 189 kilometre highway corridor in South Australia which links the Australian cities of Adelaide and Melbourne. It is part of the National Highway system spanning Australia, and is signed as National Highway A8....