Mildura Rural City Council will next week start removing small sections of levees to allow road inspections as part of our region's recovery from the Murray River flood event.
Acting General Manager Development Daryl Morgan said the works were part of Council's ongoing push to actively inspect previously flood-impacted roads ahead of reopening them as soon as possible.
Mr Morgan said work would start on Monday and focus on levees blocking the following roads:
- Etiwanda Avenue and Cureton Avenue East
- Benetook Avenue and Cureton Avenue East
- Cureton Avenue near the Mildura Homestead
- Eleventh Street extension, near Regina Avenue.
He stressed that removing these small sections of levee didn't mean roads at these locations were open yet.
"While it's encouraging to see river levels receding and some roads no longer underwater, we need to remember that many of these roads have in some cases been under metres of water for weeks, if not months," Mr Morgan said.
"As a result, the road surface may look fine, but the ground conditions beneath could still be saturated and not ready to take the load of cars or trucks.
"By driving on these roads before they're ready, it could actually take our region longer to recover due to the significant damage this could cause and resulting additional work that would be needed.
"This is why our community may still see closure signage on roads that appear on the surface to be fine and accessible.
"The fact we're able to get out and start inspecting these roads with a view to reopening them is certainly a great step forward, however we ask our community to be patient as we work to assess and reopen them."
Mr Morgan said removing these sections of levee was now possible due to river levels receding to the point where flood water was a safe distance from levees.
Looking longer term, Council intends to examine the future options for levees and levee maintenance in our region, including discussions with relevant agencies.
For the latest updates on road closures and other flood-related information visit www.mildura.vic.gov.au/flood
