Thousands of kilometres of Victorian roads are safer and more reliable thanks to the Andrews Labor Government's massive seasonal road maintenance blitz.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety today Ben Carroll visited central Victorian contractor, Centre State Asphalting, to meet with workers who have helped to deliver more than 100 kilometres of works across the state, delivering a much needed boost to the local economy, as Victoria continues to recover from the pandemic.
Since September 2020, crews throughout Victoria have worked tirelessly to rebuild, repair, and resurface more than 2,430 kilometres of the road network - exceeding pre-blitz estimates and delivering more reliable journeys for local drivers, tourists, and freight operators.
On top of this, maintenance crews filled more than 230,000 potholes, repaired, or replaced 41,000 signs and mowed more than 50,000 kilometres of roadside grass, as well as spending more than 5,000 hours responding to emergency callouts across the state.
Across metropolitan Melbourne, works delivered on busy arterial routes include the Western Freeway, Mickleham Road, Frankston-Flinders Road and Old Dandenong Road.
In regional Victoria, around 1,800 kilometres of road has been repaired, resurfaced, and rebuilt, including sections of the Western, Northern, Hume and South Gippsland highways, Warrnambool-Caramut Road and McIvor-Redesdale Road.
The Government has invested $653.5 million over two years into rebuilding and resurfacing roads across the state as part of the 2020/21 Victorian State Budget, including $425 million for regional Victoria and $229 million for metropolitan roads.
Preparations for next season's maintenance blitz are already underway, as road maintenance experts finalise a list of projects that will kick off when warmer weather makes conditions more suitable for roadbuilding.
To keep up to date with other road projects, visit vicroads.vic.gov.au or regionalroads.vic.gov.au.
As stated by Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll
"Our extensive road maintenance blitz has upgraded some of our state's most important roads - keeping communities connected, ensuring freight can stay on the move and allowing those exploring Victoria to do so safely."
"Road maintenance doesn't just deliver safer and more reliable journeys for Victorians - it gives local communities a much-needed economic boost as we continue to recover from impacts of the pandemic."
