it becomes a single carriageway again running all the way to Ararat, providing a further of freeway standard road for between Beaufort and just passed Buangor. Plans are underway for the end of this freeway to be extended from the current terminus just after the Buangor bypass westward towards and eventually to Stawell. The dual carriageway continues towards Melbourne bypassing Ballarat, Ballan, Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Rockbank to the Western Ring Road. Major intersecting roads are grade-separated, however there remain minor intersections at-grade. Cycling is permitted on the sealed shoulder along most of the freeway. History The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 through the Parliament of Victoria provided for the declaration of State Highways, roads two-thirds financed by the State government through the Country Roads Board (later VicRoads). The Western Highway was declared a State Highway on 1 July 1925., cobbled from a collection of roads from Melbourne through Ballarat, Stawell, Horsham and Dimboola to the state border with South Australia at Serviceton (for a total of 244 miles); before this declaration, the road between Melbourne and Ballarat was referred to as (Main) Ballarat Road or Melbourne-Ballarat Road. The Western Highway was later signed National Route 8 in 1955. The Whitlam Government introduced the federal National Roads Act 1974, where roads declared as a National Highway were still the responsibility of the states for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated by the Federal government for money spent on approved projects. As an important interstate link between the capitals of Victoria and South Australia, the Western Highway was declared a National Highway in 1974. Upgrades and realignments Timeline of duplication 1964/65 - Ballarat East. of duplicate carriageway completed east of Ballarat. No exact date given. Now part of Route C805 leading from the Western Freeway into Ballarat from the east. 1966/67 - Deer Park to Rockbank. of dual carriageways completed during financial year 1966/67. Part of this is now Ballarat Road, Metro Route 8 through Deer Park and Caroline Springs. 1966/67 - Dual carriageways from Djerriwarrh Creek to Coimadai Creek completed during financial year 1966/67. Now part of Bacchus Marsh Road between Melton and Bacchus Marsh. 1966/67 - Dual carriageways east of Pykes Creek Reservoir completed during financial year 1966/67. 1967/68 - Rockbank to Melton East. Construction completed of over of dual carriageways during financial year 1967/68. 1969 - Pykes Creek Reservoir. The ‘Western By-pass