Better roads info for the south west

LOCAL drivers will have better access to information about the condition of roads, road works and upgrades in Victoria’s south west as part of an overhaul of the way VicRoads manages the road network.

Victorians 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 II.

In the state’s south west, there were also calls for long-term road maintenance plans, measures to reduce traffic impacts at tourist destinations and upgrades to the region’s narrow roads.

Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney said the information was important.

“Understanding the state of the roads from the people who know them best is vital to ensuring we can rebuild our regional road network to provide the connections our community needs.”

The state government is overseeing the investment of $300 million in the road network across the south west in 2017/18, including:

• Safeguarding the future of the Great Ocean Road, with upgrade works to include road resurfacing, bridge strengthening and other targeted improvement work
• New multilingual safety signs installed on popular tourist destinations such as the Great Ocean Road
• Safety improvements for Geelong-Bacchus Marsh Road and Angelsea Road, and
• Upgrade of Forrest Apollo Bay Road.

Victorians will now be able to log on to a digital dashboard on VicRoads’s website (vicroads.gov.au) 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.