Geelong Ring Road

Timeframe: Start: early 2006 | End: 2013
Cost: $694.9 million (for stages 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B & 4C)  

Project description

The Geelong Ring Road is a new addition to Victoria's freeway network, extending 23 km from the Princes Freeway in Corio to Anglesea Road in Waurn Ponds, completed at a cost of $380 million.

Interchanges at Bacchus Marsh Road, Anakie Road, Midland Highway, Hamilton Highway, Barrabool Road and Princes Highway will provide direct access to arterial roads within the Geelong region, Melbourne, destinations in the western district, and along the south-west coast of Victoria.

The freeway will also provide new links to Anglesea Road, Princes Highway and Surf Coast Highway.

In total $694.9 million has been committed to completed and future sections, jointly funded by the State and Federal Government.

Section 1,2 & 3: Freeway extension

A 23 kilometre extension from the Princes Freeway to provide a freeway link between Corio and Waurn Ponds. This section of the project opened in June 2009.

Section 4A: Anglesea Road Connection

Extension of the Ring Road for 2.5 kilometres via a 200 metre long bridge over the Princes Highway into Anglesea Road, providing a safer and more direct route to the Surf Coast, Great Ocean Road and south western Victoria. Fultan Hogan won the $125 million contract for this section of the road and construction began in March 2009. Works are progressing well on the project with the southbound lanes, along Anglesea Road, now constructed and being used for two way traffic until construction of the northbound lanes is complete. This expected that the section between the Ring Road and Anglesea Road will be completed in April 2011.

Section 4B: Princes Highway Connection

This connection will provide a new 5 kilometre link from Anglesea Road, south of Hams Road, to the Princes Highway near Draytons Road. This new route will run through land currently occupied by the Blue Circle quarry. The $110 million contract was awarded to Cut and Fill Pty Ltd, major construction began in September 2010 and is expected to be complete in 2013.

Section 4C: Surf Coast Highway Connection

The Victorian Government has committed $76.9 million for this arterial road connection.

As part of the City of Greater Geelong's Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Plan, the new road will run just south of the Geelong - Warrnambool railway line, to provide a new east-west arterial road servicing development in and around Armstrong Creek.

The Minister for Planning has appointed an Advisory Committee to review the previously approved alignment of the Geelong Ring Road Section 4C. The Advisory Committee will obtain public input on planning and development issues associated with the new road connection before providing advice in a written report to the Minister for Planning. The Minister will consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and make a decision.

Read the information sheet (PDF, 1 MB, 2 pp.) about the review of the Geelong Ring Road Section 4C and learn how you can make a submission.

Project benefits

• Once completed, motorists will bypass more than 31 sets of traffic lights through Geelong. Journey times will be reduced to less than 15 minutes, compared to the current travel times of 25 – 60 minutes through Geelong.
• The Geelong Ring Road will provide greater connectivity to some of Victoria's most popular tourist destinations including the Great Ocean Road.
• The project will lead to 380 to 520 direct construction jobs and 580 to 780 indirect construction jobs. Following completion of the Geelong Ring Road it is estimated that 1,400 permanent jobs per annum will be created due to indirect economic benefits of the project.
• Tourism studies by the City of Greater Geelong have estimated that the Geelong Ring Road will encourage up to 300,000 extra people to visit the Geelong region each year, injecting $15 to $19 million into the regional economy.
• Once completed, the Geelong Ring Road is expected to carry around 15,000 to 25,000 vehicles per day, reducing the number of cars and trucks currently using local routes. This will ease congestion on existing roads that currently experience high levels of traffic, particularly during peak times.

More information

• Geelong Ring Road on VicRoads website
• Geelong Ring Road Section 4C Advisory Committee on the Department of Planning and Community Development website.