The Goulburn Valley Highway will soon be safer thanks to the installation of flexible safety barriers between Seymour and Shepparton.
The $35 million project will see more than 175 kilometres of flexible safety barriers installed on both sides of the northbound and southbound carriageways of the Goulburn Valley Highway, from the Hume Freeway interchange at Seymour to Ross Road, south of Kialla.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said the safety improvements are vital to this major transport route.
“The Goulburn Valley Freeway forms a national freight link between Melbourne and Brisbane, connecting with the Newell Highway in New South Wales and the Leichhardt and Gore Highways in Queensland,” Minister Joyce said.
“This project will provide a continuous safe corridor for the thousands of road users travelling on the Goulburn Valley Highway each day.”
Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said installing the flexible safety barriers will reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes on the highway.
“We know that between 2014 and 2018 10 serious and 12 other injury crashes along the Goulburn Valley Freeway between Seymour and Shepparton, and tragically one person lost their life,” Minister Carroll said.
“These safety barriers will reduce the risk of head-on and run-off-road crashes, preventing serious injuries and saving lives.”
Federal Member for Nicholls Damian Drum said the works are part of the Australian and Victorian governments’ joint investment to improve road safety on critical freight connections.
“We recognise the importance of the Goulburn Valley Highway to the communities and industries that rely on it, which is why these works are essential,” Mr Drum said.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said infrastructure plays a vital role in preventing serious crashes.
“When a vehicle hits a flexible safety barrier, the posts bend at the base, and the ropes catch the vehicle like a net,” Ms Symes said.
“This helps to absorb the impact and shield the vehicle from hitting oncoming traffic or running into roadside hazards such as trees.”
The project will include the barrier installation and associated works, including earthworks, shoulder grading, mowing, vegetation clearing, signage relocation and minor drainage works.
The Goulburn Valley Highway is the main road connecting Seymour to Shepparton and onwards.
The project’s total estimated cost is $35 million, encompassing $28 million from the Australian Government’s Roads of Strategic Importance initiative and $7 million from the Victorian Government.
