Projects

Princes Highway West – Rail Bridge upgrades at Dennington, Allansford and Weerite

Strengthening works on the Dennington, Allansford and Weerite rail bridges will be completed to keep industry and tourism moving on Princes Highway West.

Project status:

Underway

We’re strengthening three rail bridges on the Princes Highway at Dennington, Allansford and Weerite so they continue to meet the demands of traffic volumes and modern freight vehicles travelling the major highway.

These works are being delivered as part of an upgrade of the Princes Highway corridor in Victoria to improve road safety, better connect people with jobs and services, and deliver goods to market.

Update – June 2026

Dennington

Rail bridge strengthening works are currently underway on the Princes Highway at Dennington.

Nightworks

Crews will be working overnight for a week from Monday, 22 May 2026 between 9pm and 5am to complete expansion joint maintenance, patch repair and coating works.

To ensure the safety of crews and motorists, the section of Drummond Street which passes under the Princes Highway will be closed to all traffic during the nightworks.

We’ll make every effort to minimise any construction-related impacts, including noise, vibration and light glare, during these works.

Drummond Street will reopen outside work hours with a reduced speed limit of 40km/h.

Please note these dates and times are subject to change due to weather and site conditions.

Allansford and Weerite

Strengthening works on the Allansford and Weerite rail bridges started in mid-May 2026 and take up to six weeks to complete at both sites, weather permitting.

General Disruptions

We understand roadworks can be disruptive, and we thank you for your patience during this project. Road users are encouraged to plan their journey to minimise disruptions.

Crews will be on site from Monday to Friday, between 7am and 6pm, with the possibility of weekend works. Traffic management will include lane closures and reduced speed limits to protect the safety of crews and road users.

Please note: dates and time frames of these works are dependent on a range of factors, including favourable weather and site conditions.

Benefits

By upgrading and improving the structural integrity of each structure, we’ll be able to lift the current heavy vehicle (NHVR) restriction on the Dennington, Allansford and Weerite rail bridges once the project is complete.

Background

The Princes Highway is the principal east-west route that services south-western Victoria, providing access to the major regional centres of Geelong, Colac and Camperdown, linking Melbourne to the coastal communities of Warrnambool and Portland and across the border to South Australia.

The route is strategically important for freight movements, and provides regional industries such as forestry, timber and dairy products with access to domestic markets and major ports.

The rail bridges in Allansford and Weerite were built in the 1970s, located between Grauers Road and the Great Ocean Road, and Koallah Road and Danedite Road, respectively.

The Dennington rail bridge is located between Russell Street and Drummond Street in Dennington and was constructed in the 1960s.

Project funding

The Australian Government has committed $12.66 million towards the project as part of its $322.9 million investment in the Princes Highway corridor. The rail bridge upgrades will be delivered by Transport Victoria.