The Victorian Budget 2018/2019 has allocated $941 million to fix Victoria’s regional road network, including a $66 million maintenance uplift for Gippsland.
As part of the road work blitz, urgently needed repairs will be carried out on sections of the Princes Highway East and the South Gippsland Highway, as well as dozens of other roads in need of repair.
Gippsland will also see important upgrades to vital connections including a new dual lane roundabout to be built at the intersection of Phillip Island Road and Back Beach Road on Phillip Island to improve safety and traffic flow.
Across the state more than 1000km of roads will be repaired, resurfaced or rebuilt.
Victorian Minister for Road and Road Safety, Luke Donnellan, said the investment will reduce congestion, improve safety and support primary producers to get their goods to market.
Member for Eastern Victoria, Harriet Shing, said, “We are absolutely determined to improve the safety and durability of more roads across Gippsland, and this investment will build on works that are either already complete or currently underway.
“There is always more to do, but this record investment in regional road works, resurfacing and safety upgrades will make more roads and communities safer, improve efficiency and help industry to improve productivity in getting goods to market.”
Local councils will also be able to apply to the new $100 million Fixing Country Roads fund, to get the support they need to fix their local roads.
The Victorian Government will establish Regional Roads Victoria (RRV), a division of VicRoads, based in Ballarat, with staff in regional centres across the state to oversee the investment.
Led by a Chief Regional Roads Officer, RRV will have the sole focus of giving country communities roads they can rely on.
