VicRoads regional director Ewen Nevett said VicRoads selected route option B2, pictured, as its preferred alignment for the Western Highway bypass in May 2013.

The route cuts through Riverside, north-east of the city. 

“Following extensive community consultation and the completion of a planning study, VicRoads has provided details of its preferred option to the State Government for approval to go to public exhibition as part of the Planning Scheme Amendment process,” he said.

Mr Nevett said the planning study’s primary objective was to identify an alignment that would improve road safety and freight efficiency. 

“As part of the planning process, VicRoads spoke with directly affected landowners and members of the community to better understand individual circumstances and the wider implications and further refined the options to minimise some impacts to landowners,” he said.

“VicRoads has been advised that its preferred route, along with a review of stakeholder and community views, will be considered by the State Government before proceeding further.”

Once permission is granted, the public exhibition period will take between four and six weeks. 

The process gives landowners, stakeholders and the community an opportunity to comment on the proposed alignment.

If an amendment is approved, an approval notice will be published in the Government Gazette and the land will be reserved in Horsham Rural City Council’s Planning Scheme Amendment.