Geelong roads included in maintenance blitz

THE annual maintenance blitz on roads across the Geelong region has begun, supported by funding from the state government.

The $780 million investment will rebuild, repair and resurface more than 245 kilometres of roads across south-west Victoria.

Workers will spend the next eight months delivering more than 165 individual projects across some of the region’s busiest and most important transport and travel routes.

The roads set to be targeted under the maintenance blitz have been selected based upon expert inspections and community feedback, so works are delivered where local drivers need them most.

“Roads across the Bellarine are vital for locals heading to work or school, while the booming tourist industry also relies on these routes to welcome visitors – that is why our annual road maintenance season is so important,” Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said.

“We’re ensuring better roads for all motorists, whether they are in a car, on a motorcycle, bus or truck.”

Across the state, crews will deliver more than 1,300 individual road maintenance projects, patch thousands of potholes and replace and repair 20,000 roadside signs.

The major investment will also ensure other vital parts of the road network are up to scratch, including rebuilding bridges, culverts and retaining walls, and inspecting and maintaining thousands of traffic lights, signs and other structures.

These works will harness the latest technology and methods to ensure that the road maintenance program delivers the best results for all Victorians, while also continuing to support an estimated 1,800 jobs across Victoria.

A further $3.2 million of funding will be invested in maintaining regional roadsides, with more mowing, weed spraying and graffiti removal work set to be completed across the network.

In the 2021/22 maintenance season, Labor says it upgraded more than 1,500 kilometres of regional roads, including 165 kilometres across south west Victoria, adding to the more than 12,000 kilometres of roads rebuilt and resurfaced across Victoria since 2014.

“Since 2014, we’ve made record investments in upgrading and maintaining the state’s road network and this work will continue over the next eight months – with a majority of funding spent in regional Victoria,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said.

“Right across the state, crews will begin repairing and rebuilding the roads that regional Victorians rely on most, connecting people with employment and education opportunities, key freight routes, family and friends.”