Road Works

Sturt Street West Improvements

Improvement works at the busy Sturt/Russell/Morrison street intersection are expected to continue over the upcoming December/January school holiday period.

While construction at the intersection finished earlier this year, installation of new traffic lights is expected to begin just before Christmas and continue through to February/March 2021. 

This will mean the Ballarat High School community will see marked changes to the intersection once the 2021 school year begins in late January.

Previous work at the intersection included the extension of the eastbound right-turning lane from Sturt Street into Russell Street and the addition of a left-turn lane from Russell Street into Sturt Street. 

Until the traffic lights become operational, this left turn from Russell Street is temporarily closed to provide safety for pedestrians crossing the intersection. 

After the traffic lights become operational, the school crossing on Sturt Street, near Loreto College, will be removed and your students and other pedestrians will be encouraged to use the new lights to cross Sturt Street.

Benefits of upgrading this busy intersection include improving traffic flow to and from the growing western suburbs of Ballarat, particularly during peak work and school times, and improving the safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Traffic impacts

At least one lane of Sturt Street in each direction will remain open during works and there is the possibility of a temporary closure of Morrison Street to accommodate the movement of contractor vehicles and for the safety of onsite workers.

There will, however, be no lane closures during peak morning and afternoon times to minimise the impact to school traffic. 

Traffic management will be on site to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and the safety of workers. The speed limit through the construction site will also be reduced to 40km/h.

Please feel free to share this information with the Ballarat High School community before the end of the 2020 school year to ensure all staff, parents and students are aware of the works when school resumes in early 2021.

Kind regards,

Colin Scheggia

Regional Roads Victoria Project Team Leader