More road work has begun in the CBD, with new pedestrian crossings to be built on Dana Street.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
But there'll be some short-term pain for motorists in one of the busiest parts of the city, with Dana Street to be closed in both directions until the end of March between Grenville Street and Anderson Street East.
The two crossings will be "raised", according to the City of Ballarat, with the street to reopen on March 31.
According to council's development and growth director Natalie Robertson, the works are part of the larger Grenville Street South upgrade, which includes a new shared path to link cycling routes across the city.
The project "will provide significantly safer opportunities for people to access the CBD from the south," Ms Robertson said in a statement.
There will be detours in place, and access to the Eastwood Street car park will be retained now that the Grenville Street South entrance has reopened - this also now includes a raised pedestrian crossing.
Last year, several poplar trees were removed in the area to prepare for the new shared path, which connects to the Steinfeld Street shared path.
Despite the changes, there will be no changes to traffic patterns, Ms Robertson added.
There could be far more work ahead in the neighbourhood, however, with tenderers to be announced soon for the reopening of the Bridge Mall to traffic.
Early designs for the new Bridge Street show parts of Grenville Street closed off to south-bound traffic, which would increase green space, potentially for outdoor dining.
It's not known when construction will begin for the reopening, but council has previously stated it must be completed before 2025.
During the federal and state elections in 2022, council also advocated for a "Law Courts Central Park", which would revamp the grassed area as a "new parkland in the heart of Ballarat's CBD" - at the time, it was noted there are several community services in the area, including the Ballarat Law Courts, a 24-hour medical clinic, Uniting's Breezeway facility, a pharmacy and dentist, as well as supermarkets and other shops.
The cost of the project was "still being scoped" during the election campaigns, and did not receive funding from any party.
Have you signed up to The Courier's variety of news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
