Wednesday 6, December 2017

Locals will have unprecedented access to information about the condition of Gippsland roads, road works and upgrades as part of a massive overhaul of the way VicRoads manages the road network.

Gippslanders have told VicRoads they want greater transparency about road conditions and the work VicRoads is doing, from roadside drainage to fixing pot-holes and providing safer overtaking opportunities.

The feedback from 11,000 Victorians, 700 stakeholders and 30 councils is now shaping the most significant period of planning, construction, maintenance and uplift of the 19,000 kilometre regional road network since World War Two.

Face to face forums were held earlier this year in Korumburra, Morwell, Stratford, Bairnsdale and Omeo, and were complemented with interactive online engagement and discussion forums.

Local feedback included the need for better road services that support tourism, well-connected tourism destinations and better infrastructure for heavy vehicles and the freight industry.

The Andrews Labor Government and VicRoads are already acting on a number of the issues raised during the forums, including:

• Installing pedestrian refuges at Swan Reach
• Installing vehicle management safety (VMS) information boards along the Great Alpine Road during the winter months.
• Placing additional safety signage along the Great Alpine Road
• Investigating bridge repairs to the Mitchell River Bridge
• Investigating replacement of a culvert on Llowalong Road/Briagolong Road in Stratford.

From today, Victorians will be able to log on to a digital dashboard on the VicRoads website to track progress on road upgrades, pot-hole repairs and other maintenance efforts.

A new international star rating tool will be rolled out, starting with the 20 most dangerous country roads that will help inform future safety investments and encourage people to drive to local road conditions.

Quotes attributable to Harriet Shing, State Member for Eastern Victoria:

“We know how important roads are to people in Gippsland, that’s why we’ve doubled our investment in road maintenance since coming to office.”

“This significant overhaul to the way VicRoads does business is about making sure that our community gets the road works, upgrades and investment we need.”