The Hon Rod Kemp was Minister for the Arts and Sport from Friday 23 November 2001 to Tuesday 30 January 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.
Works begin on Deer park bypass
Australian Government Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator Rod Kemp, and the Victorian Minister for Transport, Peter Batchelor, today inspected the first stages of the Deer Park Bypass - the Western Highway deviation, from east of Christies Road, Ravenhall, to west of Clarke Road at Rockbank.
The Australian Government is providing $265 million and the Victorian Government $66 million towards the combined cost of the Deer Park bypass and Leakes Road interchange. Both are key components of AusLink, the National Land Transport Plan.
Senator Kemp said the construction would allow remaining sections of the bypass to be built without impacting Western Highway traffic movements.
“The existing route is reaching capacity. Motorists can anticipate a 15 minute reduction in peak period travel times when the new road is built over the entire distance from the Western Highway at Caroline Springs to the Western Ring Road at Sunshine West,” Senator Kemp said.
“It will bypass a seven kilometre speed-restricted section of the existing Western Highway containing 20 intersections and six sets of traffic signals.”
The projects are due for a 2009 completion, when the 9.3 km project will clear a peak congestion bottleneck on the Western Highway.
Mr Batchelor said that progress on the bypass was going well. “Works began on the Western Highway Deviation in September. T enders for the second contract were called in July. We look forward to construction commencing on the remainder of the bypass.
“The second contract will cover the remainder of the bypass between Christies Road, Ravenhall, and the Western Ring Road at Sunshine West,” Mr Batchelor said.
“Akron Roads Pty Ltd is charged with the task of building the Western Highway deviation by late 2007, with the entire b ypass due to be completed by late 2009.”
The Western Highway is the principal road link between Melbourne and Adelaide and at Deer Park it carries more than 70,000 vehicles per day. One in 10 is a heavy vehicle, emphasising the route’s freight handling performance.
Senator Kemp said the interchange at Leakes Road, Rockbank, formed part of a long term strategy to upgrade the Western Freeway between Deer Park and Melton. “Tenders for that project will be called in mid-2007, prior to construction getting under way in early 2008 for a mid 2009 completion,” he said.
Media inquiries:
Mr Kemp’s office – Michael Christo 0409 040276
Mr Batchelor’s office – Sofia Dedes 0418 362 409
20 October 2006