Road Transport Capability

Ballarat is well connected to Victoria's extensive road network, which enables Ballarat businesses and industry ready access to Victorian, Interstate and International markets.

Ballarat is a major provincial city, strategically located 110km north-west of Melbourne along the Western Freeway. The Western Freeway is the principal road link between Melbourne and Adelaide, and is the first link of the transcontinental route between Melbourne and Perth.

Ballarat currently enjoys uninterrupted access to Melbourne, with travel times around 1 hour. Travel times are significantly reduced by the construction of the Deer Park Bypass, which opened this year, at an estimated cost of $330 million. The bypass links the Western Freeway to the Western Ring Road at Sunshine West, providing direct access to Melbourne CBD, International Ports, and extensive Freeway network.

The Western Freeway is the premier regional freeway in Victoria, offering Ballarat distinct road transport advantages over other regional freeways, which are heavily congested and in poorer condition. Ballarat's reduced travel times equate to reduced transport costs, better driving conditions and safer road access to Melbourne.

Ballarat is also centrally located at the nexus of several major State Highways, being the Midland, Glenelg and Sunraysia Highways, which provide direct road access to the regional centres of Geelong, Bendigo, Hamilton and Horsham.

• The Western Highway - provides excellent commuter access via freeway to Melbourne, is the principal freight route within western Victoria, and carries most of the interstate vehicle tourist traffic to and from Adelaide.
• The Midland Highway - is an important regional route, linking some of Victoria's major regional centres, including Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton.
• The Glenelg Highway - provides an important connection between Ballarat and Portland, transporting live sheep to Portland's export facilities, and petroleum and raw timber in the other direction.
• The Sunraysia Highway - carries grains from the Mallee to Geelong, and is a tourist route to Mildura.