Danger road fix

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Danger road fix

Road Work Ahead: signs on the Bass Highway will finally be true.

SIGNS on the treacherous Bass Highway near Inverloch proclaiming ‘Road Work Ahead’ could soon be true, after an announcement the busy stretch of road would be fi xed. Just last week a woman complained to The Star the ‘Road Work Ahead’ signs had been there for weeks, without anyone working to fi x the dangerous stretch of bitumen. “While there are hazards there, with lots of deep potholes, I haven’t once seen anyone repairing it,” she said. The State Government last week announced $672,000 to undertake pavement reconstruction on the highway, one of the most popular roads in the region, linking Wonthaggi and the Latrobe Valley. Speed along a section of the highway has been reduced to 40km/h for more than three weeks, due to a dangerous pothole just north of Inverloch. The highway continues to crumble, with potholes damaging vehicles and causing drivers to swerve into the path of oncoming traffi c. On the South Gippsland Highway at Koonwarra, a bumpy section of the road frightened Leongatha motorist Mark Drury on Saturday night. He was returning to Leongatha when an oncoming truck drove into his traffi c lane to avoid the bumps. “I was initially a little freaked out, but I saw it in plenty of time and he went on his side of the road as soon as he saw me, but the potential is there for a disaster,” he said. Bass MLA Ken Smith said the Bass Highway works would bring “great relief to the many motorists who use these roads”. “After a number of major fl ood events and two years of wetter than normal weather, this section of the Bass Highway has deteriorated more rapidly than expected,” he said. “It is a very popular route for tourists heading to Phillip Island for holidays and the recent moto GP, so ensuring the safety of residents using these roads is vital.” rst of several road restorations planned for the Bass Highway as part of the $45 million road pavement repair and restore package from the State Government. There will also be 14km of resealing works along the Bass Highway, which is also partially funded through the repair and restore program. Mr Smith said the $45 million package includes $20 million for repair works which will enable VicRoads to fi x targeted potholes and worn roads by adding a new surface to the roads. This will not only improve ride quality and consistency, but will waterproof the pavement and protect it against future damage, he said. The remaining $25 million for restoration works will essentially rehabilitate sections of some of the state’s most affected roads. This will include pavement reconstruction and laying down full road sheeting to restore roads’ condition. Meanwhile, VicRoads has scotched rumours that its contractors had run out of road hazard or road safety signs, because of a rapidly deteriorating road network. Another rumour – that ‘Road Work Ahead’ signs were being used in place of ‘Hazard Ahead’ signs, as may have been the case on the Bass Highway – was also dismissed. A VicRoads spokesperson said she had not been advised any contractors were running out of road hazard or road safety signs. “Signs regarding road work are only put in place where road works are occurring or about to occur. Even if drivers may not be able to see workers on or nearby the road, it does not mean that workers are not in the area or in the process of setting up for road maintenance activities,” she said. “Temporary traffi c conditions in place for road works are there for both the safety of workers nearby the road and drivers themselves. “All road users are strongly urged to obey any temporary signs warning drivers of upcoming changed conditions such as road works or a rough road surface.”

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Posted by on Nov 20 2012. Filed under Featured, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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