DESIGNS of the new interchange between the Calder Highway and Calder Alternate Highway have been released.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said both highways have experienced significant traffic growth over the last decade, with the Calder Highway alone carrying 13,000 vehicles per day.

“Melbourne bound traffic from the Calder Alternate Highway currently needs to stop numerous times at this intersection, which imposes considerable costs and inconvenience to motorists. This is why the Australian Government is investing in the upgrade of this vital transport corridor,” Mr Truss said.

“The design will help eliminate the stop-start movements motorists currently experience, which will improve productivity and reduce operating costs.

“This is particularly important for heavy vehicles that use the Calder Alternate Highway to bypass the longer and heavily trafficked route through Bendigo.”

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Victorian Minister for Roads Terry Mulder said the existing intersection also had a poor crash history, with seven casualty crashes recorded in the five years to 30 June 2012.

“The innovative design will make the intersection safer by constructing a large circulating road above the Calder Highway that will carry traffic over both the north and south bound lanes of the Calder Highway,” Mr Mulder said.

“This will separate the traffic travelling along the Calder Alternate Highway from the Calder Highway thereby reducing the chance for vehicles to come into contact with each other.

Planning for the project is continuing with construction is expected to start in 2015 and be completed in 2018.