The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with major repairs to one of northern Victoria's most badly flood-damaged roads, as part of a third-round emergency road repair blitz.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne today announced that more than three kilometres of Prairie-Rochester Road will be entirely rebuilt as part of a $7.8 million package of works targeting roads in the state's north and west.
Prairie-Rochester Road was one of the last state-managed roads to reopen in Victoria in the wake of October's devastating floods due to the severe damage caused to the surface.
Thanks to more than $3 million of funding, crews will completely remove and replace the road with a stronger base and new surface, boosting the hundreds of farmers, freight and local residents who use the road each day.
Works already delivered under this package include major repairs to the McIvor Highway at the Axedale Bridge and landslip repairs at Axe Creek near Longlea.
Other roads undergoing repairs as part of the broader package include the Western Highway at Langhi Ghiran, Ballarat-Maryborough Road, Robinvale-Sea Lake Road and Kerang-Koondrook Road.
This round of work will deliver a complete rebuilding of some sections of flood-damaged roads, along with large-scale asphalt patching and resurfacing.
Some of these repairs are already underway, while others will begin in the coming weeks.
The works are all part of a $165 million emergency road repair blitz announced in October 2022.
Thanks to this emergency funding, crews have completed more than 1690 kilometres of flood recovery works, with a further 80 kilometres of work currently underway.
As stated by Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne
"We're repairing the state's roads following the devasting floods last year, ensuring work is delivered where and when it's needed most."
"This package of repairs is all about ensuring connectivity and safety for the people using these roads - whether they're farmers checking on their crops, freight operators heading to our major ports or people heading off to visit family and friends."
As stated by Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes
"These works to rebuild and repair our roads following the floods are vital to improve safety for all road users as they travel throughout the area."
As stated by Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan
"The floods caused major damage to our roads and these works are supporting local communities as they continue to rebuild and recover."
As stated by Member for Ripon Martha Haylett
"We're continuing to deliver repairs to our most badly damaged roads following the floods last year - ensuring motorists can keep moving safely and get to where they need to go."
