Motorcyclist dies after hitting pothole on Western Highway near Ballarat

A motorcyclist has died after hitting a pothole on the Western Highway at Trawalla, west of Ballarat , on Sunday afternoon.

The 71-year-old man was travelling westbound when he lost control of his motorbike and struck a pothole, police say.

Officers have cautioned that the exact circumstances are yet to be determined.

The crash has caused the closure of all westbound lanes on the Western Fwy between Windermere and Beaufort.

The tragedy is particularly significant given potholes have become a key election battleground, even more so now if it’s confirmed they’ve caused a fatality.

Both Labor and the Coalition are promising to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fix Victoria’s roads.