Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said this is one of many road safety upgrades being delivered by Ararat Rural City Council.

"Maintaining local roads and improving connectivity is a key focus for Council's 2021/22 Budget to ensure our road network remains sustainable and reliable for residents," Dr Harrison said.

"Despite the challenges of servicing a wide road network, with over half of these being gravel surfaces - our roads crew does a great job of maintaining unsealed roads all year-round.

"Unsealed roads need more attention than sealed roads, as they wear over time due to harsh weather conditions and carry high traffic loads.

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"Weather permitting, we are taking advantage of the cooler months and putting extra resources towards improving unsealed roads for summer, including Elizabeth Street.

"For the first time, Council crew trialled a new material for re-sheeting the unsealed section of Elizabeth Street as part of our maintenance program.

"Over two days, our crew re-sheeted 500-meter stretch of Elizabeth street, meaning new gravel is added to the road to strengthen the pavement and create a safer road for motorists."

Re-sheeting involves applying a layer of compacted crushed rock to the road surface, often followed by drainage maintenance, repairing signs and guideposts removed along the way.

Council is always looking to innovate and explore sustainable ways to maintain service levels and cost efficiency. Re-sheeted roads last much longer on average without required maintenance grading and less chance of material loss due to ravelling. These roads often have greater resistance and experience less damage from severe weather events.

"Maintenance works like this one help create a safer and more resilient road network for the community," Dr Harrison said.

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