A sea of potholes on the Midland Hwy northbound lane about 8km from Benalla on Friday, July 10.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
Travelling towards Benalla on the Midland Hwy, from Mansfield, on Friday, July 10 I saw a temporary 60km/h sign warning of something ahead, about 8km before reaching the Rose City.
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All of a sudden, the hazard became unmissable, with a large pothole deep enough to swallow a takeaway coffee cup scarring the road.
Only metres further ahead, an uneven road surface quickly turned into about 16 more potholes, of varying sizes.
The narrow shoulder to the side of the busy road was littered with skid marks, and the grassy verge had deep tyre trenches.
These were no doubt scars left by vehicles swerving to avoid the potholes.
This pothole on the Midland Hwy northbound lane, about 8km from Benalla, pictured on Friday, July 10, was deep enough to swallow a takeaway coffee cup.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
By Monday, July 13 the potholes on this stretch of road had been filled.
However, to highlight the issues facing local councils and the Victorian Government in keeping road users safe, this was just one of many instances of roads being affected by recent rain events, which are causing damage to cars, and potentially risking lives across Victoria.
When posting to the Benalla Ensign Facebook page to ask the community if they had been affected by potholes, many responses mention that while recent rains have made it worse, the issues stretch much further back.
One poster, Tanya Williamson, made this point.
“Our roads are absolutely disgraceful and have been for a long time,” she wrote.
“VicRoads, council, government need to pull their fingers out, where's our money going? Not on the roads.
“From Swanpool to Benalla is bad and (has) been like it for quite some time.
“Coming home from work in the dark, trying to watch for the kangaroos, deer and then potholes. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a major accident or death.”
Vehicles have been leaving the road to avoid potholes on the Midland Hwy, just south of Benalla.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
Another response came from Renata Carmody, who said she had a traumatic drive on the Hume Fwy on Thursday, July 2.
“Not only did I have to drive under heavy rainfall conditions, in busy traffic, but I had to dodge potholes,” she wrote.
“At least 15 cars were on the side of the road with flat tyres (five in one area alone).
“My passenger was like a navigator, helping me to see the road to avoid hitting potholes.
“I did hit two ... but luckily, we were okay and no blown tyre.
“Never in my life have I ever had so much anxiety travelling the Hume to Melbourne.”
Another commenter, Vivienne Drew, said she no longer drove on the Hume Fwy at night due to the issue.
On Tuesday, July 7 Transport Victoria released a statement on the issue:
“Heavy rainfall has caused widespread damage to roads across Victoria, with the worst impacts across central, northern and north-eastern parts of the state,” it said.
“Our crews are on the ground repairing damage and making roads safe, but you may see temporary lane closures, reduced speed limits and other traffic management while this work takes place.
“If you’re travelling through affected areas, check road conditions before you leave at VicTraffic.
“You can also report urgent road hazards that pose an immediate danger to road users by calling 13 11 70.”
A spokesperson said the Victorian Government had invested the largest amount in the state’s history to road repairs.
“Over the past two years, we have invested nearly $2 billion — the largest investment in Victoria’s history — to rebuild and repair the roads that people depend on every single day, with 70 per cent of that funding directed to regional Victoria,” the spokesperson said.
“This is the biggest roads blitz in the state’s history — we’re fixing more potholes than last year and delivering more complex rebuilding and rehabilitation works to strengthen roads for the long term.”
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