Based on information from Major Road Projects Victoria from May 2019, the series of delays to the $672 million project along Buangor to Ararat stretch since June 2018 due to protester action had impacted on its cost and construction timeline, but could not give a clear indication of how long it would take to complete the project once it got underway.

It also said the project budget was being reviewed but did not anticipate additional costs blowing the budget out.

It did say, however, that changing the alignment of the route - as activists are calling for - would increase the cost by $40 million.

The authority also stated that work would recommence progressively along the alignment to ensure additional delays are minimized.

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