Please note: this is an archived news article release

This article was published on Monday, 10 October, 2016. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

VicRoads:Urgent road repairs continue across flood-affected North East Victoria

The North Eastern Maintenance Alliance (NEMA) is working hard to repair damaged roads across North Eastern Victoria after prolonged, constant rain, damaging winds and floodwaters.

VicRoads Regional Director Nicki Kyriakou said the immediate focus is on temporary repairs on key freeways, highways and major roads that have high traffic volumes.

“In some parts of our region, it is still too early to fully and accurately measure the impact of flooding. But we’re working closely with local councils to assess the full impact of damage in heavily-affected areas. “Safety is the number one priority and roads will not be reopened until it is safe to do so. Flood water can damage the structure of the road or bridges, which may look fine but may not be safe. If a road is closed it's for a reason - don't risk it,” Ms Kyriakou said. One of the biggest challenges Alliance crews face is repairing potholes caused by water seeping into cracks in roads, which then spreads underneath and weakens the road’s surface.

”We’re dealing with many potholes, and the Alliance is working around the clock to address and repair as many defects as possible to ensure safety across the region for all road users. “The more the weight and volume of cars and trucks that pass over weak spots, the more a road’s surface begins to break up. Depending on the location and traffic types, a small crack in a road can turn into a hazardous pothole in a matter of a few hours,” Ms Kyriakou said. Despite the poor weather conditions, NEMA patrols and inspectors are continuously out on the road assessing the network, identifying and reporting hazards.

“As a safety measure, we often carry out temporary pothole repairs and patching until we can come back with more permanent repairs. These works mean that in many locations the speed limit has been reduced to allow the works to be done as safely and quickly as possible.

“Please be patient with us and when the weather gets drier for longer, our crews will be out there undertaking more permanent repairs. We plead for motorists to slow down and obey any speed restrictions to ensure the safety of road workers, who are working in some very challenging conditions,” Ms Kyriakou said.

Never walk, ride or drive through floodwater. We urge you to drive to the road conditions and obey signage.

For more information about road closures and detours, visit traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au or to report road hazards call 13 11 70.

All maintenance works in North Eastern Region are delivered by the North Eastern Maintenance Alliance, a partnership between VicRoads and Downer.

ENDS.

PLEASE NOTE: Any road that has a letter and number designation (M, A, B or C) is an arterial road that is managed and maintained by VicRoads, not Greater Shepparton City Council.

There will be regular signs along these roads with the road number noted on them.

On the above map, it shows:

Freeways (M31 Hume Fwy, A39 GV Fwy, etc)
Highways (A300 Midland Hwy, B400 Murray Valley Hwy, etc)
Arterials (C391 Shepp Alt Route, C364 Dookie-Shepp Rd, C351 Lancaster-Mooroopna Rd, etc)

Please forward your concerns directly to VicRoads via: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/traffic-and-road-use/report-a-road-issue?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=hero&utm_campaign=Report a Road Hazard.

CLICK HERE if you have concerns about a local road maintained by Council and wish to report the specific location.