Australia announces massive road maintenance blitz for Victoria roads
The Australian Government has announced more than $870 million to improve the hundreds of freeways, arterial and country roads in Victoria.
Premier Daniel Andrews today joined Minister for Roads Jaala Pulford to launch the massive road maintenance blitz, which includes $653.5 million to rebuild and resurface roads across the state over the next two years, on top the Government’s annual investment in road maintenance – which will be $216 million this financial year.
The investment will upgrade more than 1,800 kilometres of road, repair 150,000 potholes and trim more than 30,000 kilometres of roadside vegetation across Victoria in the next year alone.
Asphalt resurfacing will give drivers safer and more reliable journeys on key arterial roads including the Monash Freeway, Princes Freeway, Maroondah Highway and Cranbourne-Frankston Road.
Roads needing extensive work will also be targeted, including the Melba Highway at Dixons Creek, Mornington-Tyabb Road at Moorooduc and Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road in Pakenham.
This year another 1,500 kilometres of regional roads will be repaired, rebuilt and resurfaced, including key roads such as the Princes Highway in Gippsland, the Hume Highway near Winton, the Glenelg Highway near Skipton, the Echuca-Kyabram Road near Echuca, and the Robinvale-Sea Lake Road in Manangatang.
Regional councils are also delivering 133 projects on municipal roads thanks to round two of the Fixing Country Roads program – including rebuilding sections of local roads, sealing gravel roads and strengthening bridges.
The maintenance program will also repair and replace damaged signs, safety barriers and fences, which play an important role in road safety.
On any given night during the blitz, about 100 workers will be fixing roads across Melbourne, while 1,100 construction jobs are set to be created in the regions as part of this work.
Today’s funding builds on $87.2 million already announced for rural road rebuilds, and continues the Labor Government’s record investment in regional road maintenance, which has laid over 297,000 tonnes of asphalt and fixed 145,000 potholes last year.
Important maintenance works on the West Gate Bridge will also take place over the summer festive period with crews working day and night to waterproof and asphalt the steel sections of the bridge, in a boost to reliability for the 205,000 motorists who use it every day.
Premier Daniel Andrews, said: “From fixing pot holes to the biggest projects Victoria has ever seen, we’re building a better transport network for all Victorians.”
“This massive investment will fix the roads Victorians rely on every day and get people home safer and sooner, wherever they live.”
Minister for Roads Jaala Pulford, said: “We know how important suburban and country roads are for families getting to work or taking their kids to school. That’s why over the coming months you’ll see crews fixing and repairing the roads that need it the most.”
