The Government of Victoria in Australia has announced commencement of safety upgrade works on the Western Highway between Stawell and the South Australian border.

The works on the Western Highway, which serves as the main road link between Melbourne and Adelaide, are expected to improve safety and reliability of the highway.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Barnaby Joyce said: “The Western Highway serves as a key transport corridor through Victoria’s western district and upgrading this section of the highway will significantly improve safety for all users, including farming, tourism and manufacturing interests.”

At present, early works of the A$20m ($15.9m) upgrade project have started, with major construction expected to start soon. The works are expected to be completed in late 2020.

“The Western Highway serves as a key transport corridor through Victoria’s western district and upgrading this section of the highway will significantly improve safety for all users.”

Victoria Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said: “Drivers have already seen the benefits of the 55km of the highway that’s already been duplicated and we’ll continue to build a better Western Highway to support local communities and jobs throughout Western Victoria.”

Federal Member for Mallee Andrew Broad commented that these works will help to reduce accidents on the highway, which has witnessed several crashes in the recent years.

Broad added that between 2012 and 2017, there were 102 crashes on the Western Highway between Stawell and the South Australian border, including seven fatalities and 52 serious injuries.

The project is jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments.