Mount William Road: Section Now Sealed

Ararat Rural City Council is pleased to announce that a section of Mount William Road, currently undergoing a $6.2M rehabilitation to improve driver safety, has been sealed and is now open to regular traffic.

The two-kilometre section between Gordon’s Bridge Road and Yalla-Y-Poora Road has been smoothed and upgraded, providing a safer and more comfortable drive for both locals and visitors. 

Council worked hard to complete this stage before harvest, ensuring minimal disruption for the local community. The next phase of this Mount William Road upgrade, jointly funded by the Federal Government’s Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program and Council will focus on the abutting five-kilometre road section to Armstrong Road. 

Other major projects planned in the coming months include:

• Buangor-Ben Nevis Road bridge – The main bridge crossing Mount Cole Creek (1.2km south of Warrak) will be rebuilt, with closures starting January 12 for several weeks. Following these works, Council will proceed with strengthening the bridge on the same road at Billy Billy Creek.
• Webb Street, Ararat – workers are building the new kerb and driveways over the next week, ready to build and seal the new road.
• Pedestrian safety upgrades – Council will build raised pedestrian crossings on High Street, Barkly Street and Vincent Street in Ararat.
• McCrows Road bridge at Westmere (near Estate Road) – a new deck will be built after harvest, with works planned to start in February.

Directly affected businesses and residents will be notified by Council of impending works and interruptions, with regular updates to the broader community provided through Council’s regular communication channels.

“Over the next few months, our rural communities will continue see significant road infrastructure improvements,” said ARCC 

Mayor Cr Bob Sanders. “And, in Ararat, pedestrians, cyclists, and people using wheelchairs or mobility scooters will benefit from much safer and better-connected routes. While some road and bridge works will require short-term detours, the long-term benefits for safety and accessibility are going to be big.”